


The Song Remains the Same

by EmmaGraceWinchester



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Anal Sex, BAMF Carrie, BAMF Castiel, Bottom Dean, Dean Needs to Use Actual Words, Dean is Bad at Feelings, F/M, Gabriel is Bad at Feelings, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Protective Castiel, Protective Dean Winchester, Protective Gabriel, Protective Sam Winchester, Siblings, Slow Burn, Top Castiel, Top Castiel/Bottom Dean Winchester
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-27
Updated: 2017-08-29
Packaged: 2018-09-20 04:26:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 34,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9475607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmmaGraceWinchester/pseuds/EmmaGraceWinchester
Summary: Sam and Dean are hunting when they run into something completely unexpected.  The Winchester bond is tested and strengthened.  Dean works out some of his issues and Gabe falls for someone unexpected.  Meanwhile, the rest of the "family" sit back to enjoy the show and help when they feel it's necessary.





	1. A ghost, a girl and...Gabriel?

**Author's Note:**

> Ok so this is my first ever fanfiction. I've been working on it for a few months and if I don't start posting it now, I feel like it's just going to sit on my laptop forever. Thanks to @Deadmockingbirds @bellarisatk @mayalaen @winjennster for the encouragement and Steph, my wifey who made me post it under threat of death lol. And @bellarisatk, thanks for beta reading for me, you're the best :) Please leave kudos and comments if you enjoyed it!!!

     “Get down, Sam,” Dean yelled, as he ran towards his brother, firing salt rounds out of his shotgun. Sliding to the floor, he gave his brother’s prone form a good shake, relieved to hear the groan he received in return.  “Son of a bitch, Sammy, why did you think coming on a hunt, especially of a vengeful spirit, when you are obviously sick, was a good idea?” Dean growled. “Cas, please get your feathery ass down here.”

“The spirit was attached to the boot in the corner, Dean.  I got rid of it for you, but I can’t stay,” said Cas, as he appeared behind Dean.

“Son of a bitch, Cas,” snapped Dean, whipping around to face the angel in question.  “Don’t sneak up on people like that.  I’m going to start calling you Q…you know…from Star Trek TNG…”  Cas just tilted his head, looking at Dean quizzically.  “You know what, forget it.  Not wasting anymore awesome pop culture references on you." Dean waved the angel off and just as quickly as Cas had appeared, he was gone.

“Relax, Dean, I’m fine,” Sam said, his tone matching Dean’s.  “A little cold never stopped us from a hunt before," sighed Sam, as he eased himself into a sitting position.  “I’m fine, nothing broken, nothing chopped off.”

“You’ll be lucky if I don’t chop off your hair in your sleep for this stunt,” mumbled Dean, with a huge exhale.  At least his baby brother was okay. Although he would tie him to the bed before he allowed him on a hunt when he wasn’t feeling well again.

Sam shot Dean Bitchface Number Fifteen and rolled his eyes as he clambered to his feet, slapping his jeans trying to dislodge the new dirt and grime before it got the chance to embed itself in the material.  “Did you see a girl here when you rushed in to save the day, Dean?” Sam asked while he walked over to pick up the knife he’d dropped on the ground.

“No, there wasn’t anyone here other than you.  Imagining things, Sammy?  We’ll have to get you a girl at the next bar we stop at, or maybe give Eileen a call...” snickered Dean.

“Dean, I wasn’t imagining things.  There was a girl here, around our age, maybe a little younger, looked like a hunter.  I saw her up in the rafters before I saw the ghost.  I wasn’t seeing things,” said Sam, looking around for a staircase or anything else that could be hiding the mystery girl.  

He thought back to moments before Dean had arrived. He’d moved into the corner of the warehouse where he had heard a soft shuffle and  caught a flash of gold around the corner. Without thinking, Sam ran after it, and reaching out, grabbed something…

“Ouch, what the hell?” The startled yelp made Sam tighten his grip on a thick braid...a braid that was attached to someone’s head.  He looked down into vivid green eyes of the girl he had seen earlier.  Dark blonde hair was all he caught before she shoved him and took off running.  She had caught Sam by surprise when she pushed him, so he’d stumbled and fell on his ass for the second time that night - which is how Dean found him a moment later when he came out of the building.  Sam looked up at the twinkling eyes of his older brother and groaned internally.  “Great, just what I friggin’ need," grumbled Sam to himself.  Out loud he said, “Not one damn word, Dean. I don’t want to hear it.  You should concentrate on trying to find the girl who just got away from me.”

“Sure thing, Sammy.  I’ll find the girl who knocked you down.  What was she, an Amazon?  Or she didn’t like that your hair was longer than hers?  Sucks to lose a cat fight, huh?” teased Dean, extending his hand to help his brother up.

“I didn’t lose a cat fight, Dean.  Just listen...she was there when we were fighting the ghost and didn’t make one move to help us.  I originally thought she was a hunter, but since she didn’t help, maybe a witch or a demon.  Although…she looked kind of familiar…can’t place it though,” said Sam, shooting Dean another bitchface.

Dean and Sam finished cleaning up and then loaded their stuff into the Impala.  Sam was lost in thought, the girl niggling in his brain but unable to pull up a memory tied to her.  “Maybe she didn’t help ‘cause she figured I had it under control.  I’ll call Bobby later and see if he knows who she is,” thought Sam to himself, as he looked out the window.

“Wow, Samsquatch…what’s got you all serious looking?” came the voice from the backseat.

“Son of a bitch,” yelled Dean, as the Impala swerved.  Sam was used to this and didn’t even react to the new voice in the car.

“Awwww Dean-o, I missed you too.  Not as much as the hot Sammitch in the front seat though.  What’s cooking, good looking?” Gabriel queried from the backseat of the Impala.  Not getting an answer, he shrugged and started popping Hershey Kisses in his mouth.

“What are you doing here, Gabriel?  Don’t you have demons to smite and other people to annoy?” Dean asked, shooting a glare at the archangel in the backseat, who was now eating Tootsie Rolls.  

“Who pissed in your Cheerios this morning?” Gabriel just asked, raising  his eyebrows and snapping his fingers. The Impala and its passengers were suddenly back at the Men of Letters bunker.  He climbed out of the car and followed Sam into the bunker.

Dean didn’t get out of the car, just dropped his head on the steering wheel and groaned.  “Cas, your brother is here and if you don’t want me to trap him in a ring of burning holy oil  _ again, _ you better get down here too.”  He waited a few seconds for an answer and then when there was no reply, he sighed and got out of the car as well.  When he walked into the kitchen he was greeted by a sight that he  _ definitely _ didn’t need after everything else - Sam and Gabe, shirtless, making out.  “What the hell is going on? Get your hands off my brother,” Dean roared, in shock by what he was seeing. 

Sam came running in from the other room.  “What’s wrong, Dean?”  As he looked past Dean, he saw himself and Gabriel kissing.  “Seriously?  Not funny, Gabriel,” said Sam.  Hearing a chuckle from the other room and then fingers snapping, Sam watched the couple disappear into thin air.  Rolling his eyes, he turned around wanting to have a word with Gabriel about his constant pranking.  Dean was going to totally snap one of these days and deep fry himself an archangel.

Dean remained where he was, head hanging down in exhaustion and something else he refused to put a name to.  He was hoping that Cas would be here at the bunker when they got back, but his angel had been MIA more and more lately.  Wait,  _ his _ angel?  Nope. No way. Absolutely not going there.  Cas was an angel, not  _ his _ angel.  Although those eyes, deep enough to drown in and lips just the right side of chapped…Dean shook his head snapping himself out of his daydream.  When he looked up, he was greeted with the blue eyes he had just been daydreaming about.  “Cas?”

Cas looked at him with the adorable…no, not adorable, Dean screamed to himself...head tilt.  It was as if Cas could see right through him.  And he probably could, which was just fan-friggin’-tastic.  He didn’t need anyone rooting around in his head.  Dean looked up and saw Cas reaching out for him, so he darted around the counter.  “Hey buddy, think you can put a leash on your brother out there?” Dean asked, jerking his thumb towards the other room where Gabriel was annoying Sam.

“Why would I want to put a leash on my brother, Dean?” Asked Cas, as Dean grabbed a beer from the fridge and popped it open.  “He’s not an animal and I do not practice the dominant/subordinate lifestyle," said Cas, squinting at Dean, as if trying to puzzle out his meaning.

Hearing Cas mention the D/s lifestyle so casually caused Dean to spit his mouthful of beer everywhere and turn bright red.  As he was coughing, trying to get some much needed oxygen back into his lungs, he had flashes of Cas leaning over him while he was tied to the bed… Then he started choking again for a very different reason.  “Come on, Cas, I need to make sure your brother hasn’t molested mine out there,” said Dean, walking out of the kitchen.

When he got into the library, he overheard Sam on the phone and Gabriel was nowhere in sight.  _ Hopefully, he got called back to heaven and Cas can stay down here for a little while,  _ Dean thought while waiting for Sam to finish his phone conversation.

“Yeah, Bobby, we took care of it.  I need to ask you something though.  When we were on the hunt, a girl showed up.  She didn’t interfere, but she didn’t help either.  I ran after her and managed to grab her by the hair, but she got away.  I don’t know who she was, but she looked really familiar.  I can’t place my finger on it… She was short, maybe five-five, with dark blonde hair and green eyes.  Dressed like a hunter.  No, I didn’t get her name.  If I had then I wouldn’t have called you, I could have just Googled her," Sam rolled his eyes at the phone.  “Yeah, let me know.  There’s enough going on without any new players on the board.  Thanks, Bobby, talk to you soon.”  

“So, what’s the word on the girl who kicked your ass tonight?” Dean asked, smirking at his brother.

“She didn’t kick my ass, Dean.  You are such a child sometimes.  Bobby said she sounded familiar but he would get back to me.  Said that there aren’t too many female hunters our age, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find her.”

 


	2. Who's That Girl?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So this has some information about our mystery girl...

Two hundred miles to the north, the blonde girl pulled her car into the garage and killed the engine.  “Shit,” she swore softly.  “Absolutely nothing went according to plan tonight.  I’m better than that.  Why didn’t I just put a huge blinking sign on my forehead?” she mumbled as she pulled herself out of her car and unlocked the front door.  She looked through her mail, seeing nothing important and also noticing that the package she’d been waiting for still hadn’t arrived.  Dropping the envelopes on her kitchen table, she turned the lights off and walked out the back door.  She walked for about ten minutes and then dropped to one knee and drew a sigil into the dirt.  A door opened next to her and she walked in closing it behind her. Once the door closed, it disappeared, leaving only the quiet darkness.

A man suddenly appeared out of thin air and walked around where the sigil had been drawn.  “Well, that’s interesting," he said, and disappeared as quickly and quietly as he had appeared.

She walked down a flight of stairs, turning on the lights as she did, and when she got to the door at the bottom, she placed her hand on the warm oak panels.  The door swung open soundlessly and she was knocked off her feet by a hundred and fifty pounds of wagging tail and fur.  “Oof.  Rifle.  Down boy, easy.  I missed you too," she said, laughing and hugging her German Shepherd.  “Everything good?  You didn’t let anyone, in did you?” she asked as she got up. The dog stayed at her side, nosing at her hand.  She lit the logs already laid in the fireplace in her den and then moved into the kitchen to make something to eat.

“Hello darling," drawled a cultured accent from next to the stove.

“Damn it.  Are you trying to kill me?” she exclaimed as she jumped backwards with her hand over her heart.  “What are you doing here?  I thought we were going to meet up tomorrow and discuss everything.”

“Maybe I missed your sparkling personality and rapier wit.” She snorted and turned back around,  preparing a grilled chicken salad.  

“Sam saw me tonight.  Actually he grabbed my braid and almost had me.  I forgot how fast he was.  I pushed him down and got away.  I don’t know if I can do this anymore," she said, as she sat down and rested her head on the table top.  The man came out of the shadows and pulled her into a hug.

“There, there pretty.  Moose won’t hurt you, you know that.  He probably just wanted to know why another hunter was on his case.," The man pet her hair softly.  “Come on, eat up, bathe and then bed.  I just dropped by because you were panicking earlier and I wanted to make sure you were okay.  I’ll rest easier since Rifle is with you and I’ll leave Juliet, my best Hellhound and your favorite here as well.  I’ll see you tomorrow and we can talk about all of this.  Sleep well, pretty.”  With that, he kissed her forehead and disappeared.  A moment later she felt the warm, comforting breath of her pet against her shoulder.

As she climbed into bed that night, with Rifle next to her and Juliet at the end of the bed, she wondered again what her life was about, and if she was doing the right thing.  She tossed and turned for a few hours and then, giving up on sleep as a lost cause, she padded over to her closet and pulled down a box on the top shelf.  Looking through the pictures and newspaper articles, tracing over faces worn and discolored.  At the bottom, a pink baby’s hospital bracelet and a single knit bootie in the same color.  Finally, she stirred and put everything back except for the bracelet.  She left her room and headed for the couch.  When she sat down, she opened her wallet and put the bracelet inside.  She thought back to when she received the box and started down this crazy road.

  
  


**15 years ago…**

_ “Adopted?” she screeched. “And you didn’t think it was important enough to tell me sooner?  Are you kidding me right now?  You wait until the reading of my parents’ will to tell me that they aren’t really my parents?” She screamed at the lawyer, as she turned away.  She felt like her whole life had been ripped away from her.  Her mother, father and little sister had been killed in a car accident two weeks ago.  Someone had hit their car while driving home from New York City and the car had careened off the Tappen Zee Bridge.  No survivors.  And now James, her family’s lawyer, whom she had known all of her life, was telling her that her life was a total lie.  “Who are my real parents?  Did I have any real...I mean... blood siblings?” She asked turning around to face him. _

_ “I don’t know Katherine... sorry, Carrie," he amended as she shot him a glare across his desk.  “It was a closed adoption; your birth parents’ names were never listed.  All I can tell you is that your parents went on a trip to Kansas City, Missouri, and came back with you.  There’s no paperwork from the adoption and trust me,  I’ve tried tracing it.  I was going to get it all together and then give it to your parents to give to you.  I’ve had this argument with them so many times over the years, but you were their daughter and that was the end of the story.” _

_ “Obviously, that was the end of their story, but it’s not the end of mine.  I need to know who I really am.  I’ll finish college, but I want you to set up a travel fund for me - ten million that only I have access to.  Split it up if you need to, but make sure that I can access at least one million at any given time. Also, set up an emergency account with five million in it that has both of our names on it so that if something happens you can access it to help me.   Leave the rest where it is.  Sell the houses, except for Vancouver, Austin and New Jersey, and keep my condo at school.  I’ll still need it until graduation and then who knows after that," she said, making plans in her mind.  “Start looking up property in Nebraska.  Out of the way, but near enough to a town that I can get food and stuff.  It has to be a large property, at least ten to fifteen acres.  Send me all the information as soon as you have it.  Also get me the information for the builders of the New Jersey house," she finished and turned to see James scribbling furiously on his notepad. _

_ “Are you going to tell me what you are up to?” he asked, knowing that she was like a force of nature and as stubborn as a rock. _

_ “I don’t have any solid plans yet," she said, staring him in the eye. _

_ “And you wouldn’t tell me even if you did,” he sighed.  “Okay, fine, but there is one caveat.  I won’t get in your way or bother you, but you have to keep in touch with me at least once a month after graduation.  Phone call, text, email, handwritten letter, carrier pigeon, I don’t care.  If you don’t, I’ll freeze everything and you won’t have access to anything.  Got it?” He stood up and extended his hand over the desk. _

_ “Fine.  My caveat to that is that you don’t ask where I am or what I am doing.  I promise that I will let you know that I am alive once a month and I’ll contact you if I need any legal assistance," she said as she reached over and shook his hand.  She slammed down the emotional shields in her eyes, knowing James could see it. _

_ “For what it’s worth, Carrie, I’m sorry that you had to find out this way, but it doesn’t change how much they cared.  They truly loved you as if you were their blood.  Never forget that.  A very wise man once told me that ‘family don’t end in blood,'" said James. _

_ “Thanks, James.  Are you, Miranda and the kids still coming to my graduation?” _

_ “Of course, we wouldn’t miss it, besides, the boys are constantly asking for you," James laughed as he walked around his desk to give her a hug. _

* * *

 

Snapping out of her daydream, she looked at her phone and saw it was three in the morning and she had dozed off on the couch under a furry blanket.  Looking around, she looked right into Rifle’s brown eyes, seeing the compassion there.  “Morning, boy," she said rubbing his head.  He licked her face and jumped down.  She turned her head and saw the outline of Juliet standing there.  “Morning, Jules" she said as she sat up and ran her fingers through the smoke coming off of the Hellhound’s head.

As she was making breakfast, her cell phone started ringing and she saw an unfamiliar number on the screen.  Intrigued, she answered it.

“Carrie there?” came a gruff voice.  One she would recognize almost anywhere.

“Well, hello there, Bobby.  How’s everything?” she asked, happy to hear from him.

“Fine, but I wanted to ask you something.  Were you at a haunting in Kansas last night?”

“Why?  You want to start keeping my schedule now, Bobby?” Carrie asked sarcastically, rolling her eyes.  She was sure this had something to do with Sam and Dean.

“No, ya idjit.  I just want to know whose ass I should kick for leaving my boys in danger.”

“Relax, Bobby.  If they can’t handle a ghost, then they shouldn’t be hunting.  I didn’t leave them in danger. I would have stepped in if they needed me.  You should teach them about how to treat a girl though.  I thought pulling hair was left on the playground.  Not a very nice fight tactic," she snapped back.

“Balls.  Sam called me last night looking for information on you.  I’m giving him the info I have, which admittedly isn’t much.  If you don’t want to run into them, you better steer clear for a while," Bobby warned before hung up the phone.

“Well shit," she muttered.  “I’m not ready for this.  Not yet.”

“Crowley, I need your help,” she said to the empty room.

“Yes, Lovely?” Crowley said, as he appeared, leaning against her counter.

“Sam called Bobby and Bobby’s going to give them all the info he has on me.  You need to distract them for me.  Bobby doesn’t know where I live, but I’m sure he’s got more info on me than I gave him.  He’s not stupid and he’s always been a little suspicious of me.  I’m going to the house in Austin for a little while.  I need to reappear as myself. It’s the best cover I have.  Keep an eye on this place for me and keep everyone out.  I trust you.  By the way, when am I going to get my tiara?” She laughed, as she started to pack Rifle’s things.

“Funny as always, Darling.  No tiara, but I still want you to bring Juliet with you.  No one will see her and I’ll have some peace of mind.  I’ll keep this place on lockdown.  Just let me know when you are coming back," Crowley said, following Carrie into the library and lounging against the bookcase while she packed.

Three hours later, Carrie opened the door in the ground. She and Rifle walked towards the garage.  She looked longingly over at her ‘69 Charger, but she couldn’t take it.  It was too conspicuous.  Instead, she hopped into her black Mercedes and headed into town to make arrangements for her house to be watched while she was gone.  The people in town loved to have the opportunity to help and it kept her from standing out.  It was one of those nondescript Midwestern towns where everyone knew everyone else.  By asking people to watch her house, it kept their attention elsewhere.


	3. Idjits and Angels and Carrie...Oh My!!!

“Earth to the idjit.  Damn it, Sam, are ya even listenin to me?” snarled Bobby, his irritation coming through the phone as clear as if he was in the same room as Sam. 

“Sorry, Bobby, I got a little caught up in my own head for a minute.  What’s up?”

“Damn it, boy, you asked me for this information.  Don’t waste my time if you don’t really want it,” he growled.  Sam could hear him shuffling papers around in the background.  “Now, do you want to hear what I have or not?”

“Yeah, Bobby, there’s something up with this girl.  I don’t know what it is, and not knowing usually ends up with us getting royally screwed.  I’d like to keep Dean and I out of Hell…and Heaven for a while.  No more sightseeing tours," snarked Sam.  “Plus, there’s something I just can’t shake about her.  I don’t know what it is, but I could swear I know her from somewhere, and at the same time, I’m pretty sure that I’ve never seen her before.  I don’t like it.”

Sam heard Bobby’s sigh on the other end of the phone.  “Okay, I know who she is…or at least, I know what she’s told me.  I’ve done some digging, but I’ve never been able to pull up much on her.  Her name is Carrie Walther.  She’s around Dean’s age, but I don’t have an exact year for you.  I first noticed her about ten years ago when she stopped into the Roadhouse.  She’s a good hunter, never heard of anything getting past her.  Definite loner. No one really knows much about her, and yes, I know ‘cause I’ve asked.  Ellen probably got the closest to her, but she won’t give you anything.  She’s almost as protective of Carrie as she is of Jo.  She knows who you two are, she may have even been following you but I don’t know for sure.  She has her own setup and never calls for FBI or research backup.  No family that I know of.  That’s all I got, boy," finished Bobby.

Sam sat in silence for a minute trying to digest the information Bobby had given him.  “Well, that goes with the gut feeling I had that she wasn’t dangerous, but I don’t know, Bobby, the fact that she can hide from you makes me nervous.  And if she isn’t using you, then where does she get her info from?  There’s a lot of unanswered questions, and those always end up with us getting screwed six ways from Sunday.  I don’t like it, Bobby.  I want to find her and see what she’s up to," said Sam.  He already had Google up on his computer and was starting his search.

“Balls.  Listen here, ya idjit, just be careful.  I don’t know how she’ll react if you try to corner her, and if you hurt her, Ellen’ll come down on ya worse than Lilith did.  Got it?” Bobby’s tone may have been harsh, but Sam knew he was just being overprotective. That was how he showed his affection.

“Yeah, I hear you, Bobby.  I don’t want to hurt her, I just want to know who she is, so she can’t hurt us.  I’ll call you if I find anything," concluded Sam. After he hung up the phone, he began looking through the white pages and the notes he had gotten from Bobby. He was determined to locate this girl and find out what her deal was.  He was done with people messing with his family. They’d just gotten everyone back in one piece and he’d like to keep it that way for as long as possible before someone or something else sent it all to Hell…literally.

“Hey Samstorm!  Whatcha doing?” came a voice from behind him.

“Seriously, Gabriel?  That’s weak, even for you," sighed Sam, as he looked up from his laptop.

“Eh, you can’t win them all," shrugged Gabriel, popping a lollipop in his mouth and dropping into the chair next to Sam.

“I’m looking for someone.  There was a girl that appeared on our hunt the other night and I want to know who she was.  I don’t trust people I don’t know, especially when they seem to know more about me than I do of them.  Call me paranoid, but it is what it is,” finished Sam

“Awwwwwwww…does little Sammykins have a crush?” teased Gabriel as he batted his eyelashes at Sam.  “So, what is she this time?  Werewolf?  Demon?  Nah, you’ve already done that. Angel?  Witch?  Shapeshifter?  Come on Sam, don’t hold out on me.” Gabriel exclaimed, practically vibrating in his chair from his pent up excitement and laughter.  “It’s me, isn’t it?” he chortled.  “I knew you couldn’t resist getting your hands on all of this.”

“Gabriel, cut it out.  You’re driving me nuts," yelled Sam.  “She was there during our last hunt but didn’t try to help.  I’m a little freaked, that’s all.”

“Maybe she was just struck dumb by all your rippling muscles and flowing hair," laughed Dean as he walked in the room.

“I can’t believe that you aren’t more concerned by all of this, Dean. Some creepy girl just watched us get our asses handed to us and you don’t care?” Sam, exasperated by everyone around him, shoved his hand through his hair.  Just as he was about to read everyone in the room the Riot Act, there was a fluttering of feathers and Cas appeared at Dean’s side.  Actually, he was close enough that it almost seemed he appeared in Dean’s arms.

“I agree with Sam.  Why are you not pursuing this further, Dean?” asked Cas with a head tilt.  

Dean turned to answer Cas, but when he looked at Cas, he got trapped in the blue of his eyes.  Suddenly, he was wishing that everyone would just disappear so he could have some alone time with Cas… No. No. No.  I am not going there again.  I only do chicks. I’m not into guys, although I can appreciate a good looking guy just like anyone else… Okay, derailing that train of thought before it goes any further… But Dean couldn’t stop his mind from supplying what Cas looked like - lithe, a runner's body in dress slacks that showed off his ass to a great advantage.  Stop it. Dean berated himself.  Tearing his gaze from Cas, he glanced back over at Sam and Gabriel, hoping that his little space out hadn’t been noticed by his brother or the archangel.  As soon as he saw the mischievous twinkle in Gabe’s eyes and the calculating look in Sam’s, Dean knew he had to change the subject immediately.

“Look, it’s not that I don’t think what happened was shady.  It was.  But, she didn’t come after us or try to hurt us. Let’s enjoy that freak happening and keep going.  If we see her again, you can grill her like a burger, Sammy,”  Dean finished his spiel while moving slowly away from Cas until there was a respectable distance between them.  However, he could still smell Cas, that unique summer rain and lightning smell.  That aroma haunted his dreams both asleep and awake.  Dean shook his head, trying to clear his head and focus on what was going on.

Sam just looked at Dean, mouth hanging open a little bit.  “Okay, who are you and what have you done with my brother?  You know, the guy who likes to shoot first and ask questions later.  What did you do with him?” demanded Sam, incredulity written all over his face.

Dean flushed red, and searched his brain for an acceptable response that would get his brother off his back.  “Just drop it, Sam.  I don’t want to talk about it anymore.  You don’t know who she is.  Bobby gave you all the info he had and said she was fine and to leave her alone.  I, for one, do not want Mama Bear Ellen breaking down our door because  _ you _ can’t leave well enough alone,”  Dean turned away and walked out of the room.  “I’m going for a drive," he yelled over his shoulder and let the door slam behind him.

* * *

 

Sam turned and looked at the two angels in the room.  Cas was staring down at his feet with a kicked puppy expression on his face and Gabriel was looking off into the distance, like Sam had seen him and Cas do when they were communicating with Angel Radio.  Sam sighed again, muttering under his breath about stupid older brothers and their emotional constipation. All of a sudden, Gabe’s head snapped up and he was gone with a ruffle of feathers.  Sam looked over at Cas for an explanation, but Cas just shrugged and headed out of the room towards the library.

* * *

 

“Any particular reason why you called me all the way out here?” asked Gabriel, as he appeared next to a blond man with a tumbler of Scotch in his hand.  “Why couldn’t you just come to the bunker to talk, Balthazar?”

“Hello to you too, brother.  I figured we should discuss this without the Goon Squad around.  And Cassie can’t keep his mouth shut when it comes to the older one," Balthazar explained calmly.  “We need to talk.”

“Ah, the worst four words in the English language.  Okay, Balthy, what is so important that you had to bring me to the middle of nowhere?”

“Something has come up in Heaven.  I overheard some of our brethren talking and you will never believe what they were saying…”  Balthazar stared at Gabriel, speaking to him telepathically.  He was almost afraid to put actual words to what he suspected.  As soon as he was done, Gabriel pulled back and stared at him in disbelief, and then promptly flew back to Heaven.  Balthazar resumed his spot, watching the field behind the house.

Gabriel landed in the archives and promptly went into the bloodlines section.  Scanning the titles, he found the one he was looking for and pulled it down.  He mojoed a table and sat down, skimming through the book, looking for a specific family entry.  “Ah-ha,” he said aloud.  “There it is.”  As he read through the family tree, he stopped at the final entry.  “This can’t be right.  It’s been altered,” he mumbled.  Gabriel contemplated what that could mean.  No one had the power to alter the records in the archives.  No one, that is, except God.  Gabriel closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair trying to puzzle through what was going on.  The only thing he could come up with was the girl.  She seemed to be at the center of it all. Gabriel returned the book and flew back down to when Balthazar was waiting for him.

“Someone altered the archives, Balthy.  And since there’s only one person who could have done that, I’m really curious as to why,” said Gabriel, looking out into the empty night.


	4. Demons and Witches don't get along...

Carrie pulled up in front of her house in Austin and took off her sunglasses.  She got out of the car and let Rifle out of the backseat, feeling Juliet slip out of the car as well.  She shut the door and just leaned against her car for a minute with her eyes closed.  The sun felt so good and maybe she could actually relax for a few days -- just lay in the pool and forget about the other world for a little bit.  She could drop her mental baggage off as well and just be Carrie Walther, heiress and jet setter.  She opened her eyes and looked at Rifle and the indistinct shadow that was Juliet.  

“Okay, guys, let’s get this show on the road.”  Carrie hefted her bag over her shoulder and walked into the house.  As soon as she walked over the threshold, she was assaulted by all the family memories she had in this house.  Holiday dinners, movie nights, sleepovers with friends, all of it lay just below the surface.  The house had a mellow air to it; it had seen so much life and death. It warmed Carrie’s heart in a way she couldn’t explain.  More than any of the other properties, with the exception of her hideout in Nebraska, this one felt like home.  And considering all of the firsts that had happened in this house, it made perfect sense.  She’d lost her first tooth in this house, and spent almost every Thanksgiving and Christmas here with her parents.  This was also the house she had run to after her parents death, and where she had found the little wooden box that had turned her life upside down.  The house in which she’d first tried to take her own life, after she’d found out the truth about her past.  It was also the place she had met Crowley for the first time and forged an unlikely alliance.  An alliance that turned into a strange kinship at a time when she desperately needed it.

As she walked through the rooms in the house, she could almost hear her parents’ voices and laughter.  Being in that house was a complex mix of heaven and hell, because when she was there it always felt like her parents were just around the corner, or in the other room, waiting for her to stop in and say hi.  However, she also heard the dark whispers in the corners.  She heard her tears and begging for God to take her too, because she couldn’t bear to live without her family.  How she’d almost let herself waste away when she’d found out she was adopted. James was the one who saved her that time.  He had come to the house to make sure everything was okay, and when he saw her on the floor surrounded by bottles of Jack and a spilled bottle of sleeping pills, he called his wife, Miranda, who was a pediatric doctor. The two of them had nursed her back to health.  She owed them more than she could ever repay, but she also stayed away as much as possible, so they didn’t get dragged into the supernatural world.  “Monsters just have no sense of  decency or boundaries,” she laughed to herself.

She sat down in her office and pulled up her calendar to see what she had waiting for her.  After accepting a few invitations and sending out a few emails, she relaxed back in her chair and sipped her coffee.  “I can feel you hovering, Maggie.  What’s up?” she asked, not moving.

“Just glad to see you home and doing something useful with your time,” said Maggie, as she came into the room and stopped next to the desk.  Maggie had been with her family for as long as Carrie could remember. She was more like an aunt than an employee.  She had taken care of Carrie all her life and when the death of her parents threatened to suck her under, Maggie was the life preserver keeping her afloat.  Being a witch didn’t hurt either, although Carrie hadn’t found out about that until much later.  Just one more thing to chalk up on her crazy life.  

“You wound me, Maggie.  I’ve been very productive with my time.” Carrie said, feigning hurt.

“Hmph,” Maggie snorted.  “Spending time with that demon is not productive.”

“Hello, pretties.  Talking about me again, I see,” drawled Crowley, appearing in the room suddenly. Juliet trotted over to say hello to her master.

“Don’t start,” Carrie said, raising her hand to forestall any arguments, giving both a warning glare.  “No bickering today, I need to lay low for a little while and I do not need you two fighting the whole time.  I already have a migraine and I’ve only been home for an hour.”  Carrie pushed the chair back from her desk and stood up.  “I’m going to jump in the shower and then I could go for some lunch, Maggie.  Please try to not kill each other, I prefer you both in one piece,” she said as she walked out of the room.

Two hours later, feeling infinitely more relaxed, Carrie wandered down to the kitchen, following the delicious smells and raised voices.

“This is bloody ridiculous!  Let me out of this damned thing, you’ve had your fun.  I’ll bring down the damn house if I have to.”

Carrie walked into the kitchen and couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped.  Maggie had trapped Crowley in a Devil's Trap and was preparing lunch while ignoring his complaints.

“Honestly you two. You are worse than children,” Carrie said as she rubbed out one side of the trap with her shoe.  

Crowley shot one last glare at Maggie and disappeared as she blew him a kiss.  “Lunch will be ready in about half an hour.  How’re you feeling?” Maggie asked as she turned to face Carrie.

“Oh, peachy.  I have a ton of stuff that I need to be doing right now, but because I was careless and got caught by Sam Winchester, I have to disappear for a little bit.  Add that to the fact that he is only slightly less obsessive than a bloodhound, and I have myself in a heaping pile of shit at the moment,” Carrie said, rubbing at her temples.  “Why couldn’t I just leave it alone?  Why couldn’t I just walk away when I had the chance?  More likely than not, the boys are going to be watching out for me in the future and I can’t keep having Crowley cover for me.  He’s got his own stuff going on with his upgrade in status.  Oh, Maggie, I wish I could just go back in time.  I would have never opened that box,” she exclaimed woefully.

“Now, you listen here, young lady...” Carrie’s head snapped up at Maggie’s tone of voice.  “...I know that you are tired and stressed with everything coming to a head at once, but don’t you think that it’s time?  You’ve been running from this secret since you found out, and you’ve gone out of your way to integrate yourself with them and their associates.  You can’t keep pulling yourself in two separate directions, kid, it’s going to destroy you.  I think you should get back on the road first thing tomorrow morning and get back to Nebraska, or whatever hunt you find.  That’s when you are happiest, so I say go for it.  Give me a list of supplies you need replenished and I’ll have them ready for you.  Now, eat your lunch and relax for a bit,” declared Maggie, facing Carrie with her hands on her hips.

That tone of voice from Maggie had never failed to get Carrie to do what she was told.  She sat down and ate her lunch while making the list for Maggie.  “Thanks, Maggie, I don’t know what I would do without you.”

“Well, it’s a good thing that you’ll never have to find out.  Now, run along.  Go get a massage or nap by the pool,” said Maggie, shooing her towards the stairs.

Carrie’s alarm went off at four the next morning.  She woke up, packed up her car, including the boxes from Maggie, had breakfast, and headed back to Nebraska.  “Well, Rifle...” she said, looking into the backseat, “...that was probably the shortest vacation ever.”  Rifle cocked his head at her and Carrie began to laugh.  Maybe Maggie was right.  Maybe this was her life now.


	5. The king of avoidance...and awkward moments

Dean pulled the Impala into the first dive bar he found and killed the motor.  His thoughts were too loud for him, so he figured he’d quiet them with some alcohol and a frisky woman...or women.  A quick hookup could solve all his problems, at least temporarily. He tried to ignore the deep blue eyes that flashed into his mind, or the trenchcoat that he always seemed to see in his peripheral vision.  

Dean walked in the front door and sat down at the bar. “Hey, handsome, what can I get for you?” asked the bartender.  Dean let his eyes wander over her as she leaned over the bar. She was petite and had curves in all the right places.  And to top it off, she had deep, blue eyes.  She was perfect.

“Hello, beautiful.  How about a double Jack, bottle of Yuengling and the pleasure of your company?” Dean flashed his most charming smile her way.

The bartender blushed and laughed.  “Sure thing, I think I can handle that,” she said, sauntering away.  Dean watched the way her hips swayed as she walked away.  Dean couldn’t help licking his lips and smiling, thinking about all the fun he could have tonight.  He forced the unwanted thought about leaving Cas back at the bunker out of his mind. Dean felt his smile slip as he remembered the look that Cas had given him.  He looked so hurt when Dean had left, but he wasn’t sure why.  Sure, Cas was a great dude, even though he had caused his share of problems, but then again, who in his life hasn’t, including himself?  “Everything okay there, handsome?  You look pretty far away right now.”

Dean refocused his eyes and saw the bartender standing in front of him with his drinks.  “Yeah, I’m good,” he said and forced a smile to his lips.  But his voice sounded much gruffer than he had before and he couldn’t stop thinking about the look on Cas’ face when Dean had said he was going out.

“Far be it from me to intrude,” the bartender said.  “But you look like you have a world of problems on your shoulders.  I don’t know that I have the answers, but I sure can listen while you talk.”  She smiled kindly at Dean and propped her hip against the bar.

“Nah, I’m good.  Just enjoying,” Dean said with a smirk as he shot back the Jack. 

Later on that night, as Dean was buried deep inside of her, all he kept asking himself why he was doing this. Different girls in different towns and it wasn’t nearly as fun as he used to be. Dean finished, disposed of the condom, and rolled off the bed.  Picking up his clothes, he started to get dressed and couldn’t wait to get out of there.  He felt empty and angry at himself for using yet another convenient woman.

“You look awful guilty for an unattached guy,” she said, pulling the sheet over her breasts, a look of pity in her eyes. “Go home and beg your significant other for forgiveness.  You seem like a good guy, Dean, and it’s never as bad as you make it out to be in your head.  Thanks for a good time,” she smiled and rolled over to go to sleep.

Dean walked out to the car and got in.  He sat there for a moment, thinking about what the bartender had said to him.  Wouldn’t he know if he was gay?  He had never noticed a guy in that way before...okay, well, maybe that wasn’t entirely true.  There was Harrison Ford and of course Dr. Sexy, but everyone found them attractive, right?  _ Not everyone jerks off to them in the shower though _ , said the traitorous voice in his head.  The next voice he heard sounded very much like his father and said, “No son of mine would be catching for the other team.”  Dean turned the key in the ignition and made the drive back to the bunker without turning the radio on, too distracted, his mind running a mile a minute.  He pulled into the bunker’s garage and killed the engine, and just like at the bartender’s house, he sat and let his mind run free, trying to figure out what he was going to do.  No matter where he started, his mind, and if he was being honest, his heart, kept coming back to the blue eyed angel.  Cas’ dark tousled hair, his holy tax accountant outfit and his penetrating gaze made Dean feel safe for the first time since Mary had died.  And, his eyes.  His eyes made him feel soft and squishy...except for a certain part of his anatomy.  That became hard as steel.  “Damn,” he mumbled, hitting his head against the steering wheel.  “A good night’s sleep and this will make more sense in the morning.” Dean climbed out of the car. He gave the Impala a fond caress before turning around to come face to face with none other than the angel who was plaguing him.

“Cas.  Personal space, dude,” snapped Dean, almost automatically.  “What are you doing out here?”

Cas leaned closer and was he...sniffing his coat? That’s not good, Dean could smell the bartender’s perfume, so there was no way that Cas would miss it.  He saw Cas’s nostrils flare slightly and the angel took a few steps back.  “Hello, Dean.  I was concerned because you were gone for so long, but I see you had company, so I will retire.  Good night, Dean,” and with that Cas disappeared.

“Son of a bitch,” Dean swore, fist clenching at his sides. He stomped up the stairs and yanked open the door, letting it slam behind him. “The only way this could get any worse is if I ran into Sam,” Dean thought as he detoured into the kitchen to grab a bottle of whiskey.  Thank God, he could hear him snoring as he left the kitchen and stomped down the hall to his room to drown his thoughts and pass out.


	6. Heaven, Hell and...Ellen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is a little short, sorry but enjoy!!! :)

As Carrie headed back to Nebraska, she enjoyed the German engineering that allowed her to travel at a hundred miles an hour and still feel totally safe and at ease.  It was one of the main reasons she didn’t mind the distance between Austin and McCook.  Driving also gave her time to think and clear her head, which she really needed to do right now.  She had to come up with a plan to get into the “Winchester World”, and she laughed when she thought of that.  She also needed to check in with Ellen and Jo and see how everything was with them, and maybe give Bobby a call as well and find out exactly what had been said.  Just thinking about Ellen made her smile.  The woman had taken one look at her and opened her arms, heart, and home to her.  At a time when Carrie was hurting terribly and just looking for something to take her mind off of everything, Ellen had stepped in and taught her how to kick ass and survive as a hunter.

Ellen was also the only person who had an idea of what her true lineage was.  Carrie had never came out and told her, but Ellen wasn’t stupid.  Even though she had never come straight out and asked Carrie, she dropped enough hints over the years to let Carrie know that she knew, or at least, strongly suspected, what the story was.  The fact that Ellen never pried made Carrie love her all the more.  She also wondered if Bobby had gotten over himself and made a move on Ellen yet.  “The mangy old coot is going to die alone and miserable if he doesn’t do something.  Actually, no, once Ellen has had enough ‘pussyfooting’ around she’ll take matters into her own hands.  Wow, I hope we can be there to see that.” Carrie said to her dog, glancing in the mirror at the big German Shepherd. She chuckled at the dog’s perked ears. She swore Rifle knew exactly what she was saying.

Mind made up, Carrie took the turnoff for the Roadhouse and called Ellen from her cell.  “Hiya, Ellen. How’s the drunk business?” Carrie asked, laughing. 

“Well, now there’s a voice I haven’t heard in awhile.  Heard you got into a bit of a snag on the last hunt,” said Ellen, never one to mince words.

“Oh, well, you know, curiosity got the better of me and I got too close.  No worries though, everything is fine.  The angel came and saved the day.  I just wanted to let you know that I’m on my way to you.  I have some things that I need to discuss with you and I want your input before I go any further,” Carrie informed the other woman.

“Nothing like a good mysterious sentence like that to get the juices flowing,” chuckled Ellen.  “Alright, Trouble, bring it on.  Are you bringing your...ummmm...friend with you?”

“No,” Carrie laughed.  “Just me this time, Ellen.  I promised I would never just spring him on you again.”

“Alright, just checking.  Oh, and just a heads up, the old coot is here.  Not sure if he’s still going to be here when you arrive, but I wanted to give you the heads up anyway.”  There was a slight pause on the other end, but Carrie knew that Ellen was still there.  “You okay?” Ellen asked softly.  

“No, not really.  I knew it was going to happen sooner or later though.  Listen, I’m almost there, ETA about fifteen minutes.  Is Jo home?  I can just sneak into the back with her and Ash and lay low for a little while. I’d like to unwind a little before seeing anyone.”  Carrie watched the speedometer drop down to a safer speed.

“Yeah, I’ll let them know, so you can just walk in and hopefully, no one else  sees will see you.  But we are going to talk tonight,” warned Ellen in her no-nonsense mom voice.

“Yes, ma’am,” answered Carrie tiredly.

“Don’t sass me, girl, just get here safe,” said Ellen and hung up the phone.

Ten minutes later, Carrie was pulling up to the back of the Roadhouse, wishing that she didn’t have her Mercedes because now it stuck out like a sore thumb.  “Balls,” she thought, quoting her favorite irascible old bastard in her mind.  Just as she took her seatbelt off, she heard Tim Allen’s voice, “Never give up, never surrender.”  She saw Crowley’s number on the screen, which never boded well.  Last time he sent her a text, she almost ended up as fodder for a pack of werewolves including the Alpha.  Not her fondest memory.  The text was short and sweet. “Upped wardings. Heaven sniffing around door.”

“What the hell?  How in hell did they find me?  I’m warded, my bolt hole is warded and nothing's been off.  Damn it, just what I need, another issue,” she muttered aloud.  Mind whirling, she climbed out of the car to go crash with Jo and Ash for a while before briefing Ellen on everything.  It looked like her worlds were about to collide and all she could hope was that everyone made it through okay. Including herself.

* * *

 

_ Meanwhile, back at her hideout in McCook, the angel disappeared from outside the house.  No sooner had he disappeared, than Crowley appeared in the same spot. “Damn,” he thought. “How in hell did they find her?”  He shot off a quick text to Carrie and then decided that it was time to do some of his own digging.  If Heaven had finally figured out who and what she was, they were going to be in for a bumpy ride.  And he couldn’t call any of his minions in because, technically, hell wanted her too.  “Never a dull moment,” he thought as he snapped up a tumbler of Craig whiskey.  He wondered if Maggie knew what was going on, and what her price would be for the information.  Although, since he was trying to help Carrie, she might take it easy on him.  No matter what, he wasn’t going to let Heaven, or Hell get her without a fight.   “Ugh...FEELINGS,’ and in a blink, Crowley was gone as well. _


	7. Mama Bear takes care of everyone...

Ellen saw Bobby scrutinizing her while she was on the phone, but she figured that he was just trying to confirm who she was on the phone with.  When Ellen turned her back to say her goodbyes, she noticed that Bobby had slipped out the front door.  Quietly, she followed him out and heard him talking on his phone.

“Dean, get the Holy Terrors and your brother and get to the Roadhouse.  I think Sam’s girl is here and I don’t know how long she’s going to stay.  If ya idjits don’t get here today, no idea when you’ll be able to track her down again.” She watched him slip the phone into his pocket and when he turned around, she was waiting, one hand clutching a wooden spoon and one tightly fisted on her hip.

“Now, Ellen, I know you’re protective of that gal, but if she’s what I suspect she is then she needs to tell them the truth.  This pussyfootin’ around isn’t doing anyone a lick of good.” Bobby said, meeting her glare with one of his own.

“It’s not our place to say, Bobby.  And if anything happens to any of them...let’s just say you won’t be very happy, old man,” stated Ellen and then she turned and headed back inside the bar. 

Ellen wondered if she should call and warn Carrie about Bobby’s call to the boys. She agreed it had been long enough, but it should also be her call.  Her bar might be the best place because at least Carrie would have backup here.  Content with her decision to give Carrie a heads up, but let her know Ellen thought it was time for the girl to face the music, she walked into the back to wait for Carrie to arrive.  She informed her daughter and Ash that Carrie was on her way and busied herself at the large stove. Ten minutes later, the back door creaked open and Carrie walked in, her large dog at her side. She stood silently watching as Carrie greeted Jo and Ash like siblings. Ellen put her spoon down when Carrie turned to her. She pulled the younger woman into her arms. When she released Carrie, she motioned for her to sit down.  Carrie sank down into the chair across from her with Jo and Ash on either side, and Ellen could see how everything was catching up to her.  Ellen could always see right through her, and she was wavering between excitement and fear of coming face to face with her brothers.  Jo and Ash could tell as well because they were squished up super close to her, almost like human armour.  Ellen smiled to herself, she had a great family, even the idiots.

“Listen, I have some news and I want you to stay put until I finish,” said Ellen, spearing Carrie with her gaze.  Ash jumped up, turned off the music and then sat back down.  The three of them looked at Ellen.  “Sam and Dean...and probably Gabriel and Castiel are on their way here.  Bobby called them and told them that you were here,” said Ellen calmly, looking directly at Carrie. The other woman looked like she could bolt any minute, so Ellen continued, “Now, I’m not going to tell you what you should and shouldn’t do, but you’ve been hiding from this for too long. Maybe you should just do it quick, like ripping off a Band-Aid.  We’ll all be here for you and if you want to call Crowley and have him here too, I won’t say no.  But you might want to put Rifle in the storeroom.  We don’t need him to get riled up if things get a bit heated.  He’ll try to protect you and if he goes after one of the boys, Rifle could get hurt. Not that any of those boys would harm him intentionally, but they look out for each other.”

Carrie drew in on herself and chewed on her fingernail.  “Carrie, Mom’s right.  Let’s just get this over with.  No matter what, you’re family and we’re all here to back you up.  I’ll kick their asses if they try to mess with you,” snarled Jo, moving to stand in front of Carrie.

“Thanks, guys, you’re all correct; it’s past time.  Let me just call Crowley and then we can get this show on the road.  You might as well tell Bobby too, the old fart started this. He can stick around for the finish of it,” said Carrie, standing up and brushing off her jeans.

Ellen went back out to the bar area and cleared everyone out.  Everyone except Bobby, that is.  When it was just the five of them, they all sat down to wait for the final members of their little party, each one thinking about their own concerns over what was going to happen.  Ellen looked around at everyone and decided that she was done with the moping and stress around her.  She rapped her spoon against the table and everyone jumped.  “Joanna Beth, come help me make some burgers for everyone.  It’s too dead in here.  Ash, turn the music back on, and Bobby Singer, you better not even THINK about turning tail and running away from this.  You started it, you can damn well stay till it’s finished.”  With that parting comment, Ellen got up and motioned to Jo to head into the kitchen, smiling to herself when she saw Carrie’s smirk.  Bobby was sitting on his bar stool, scowling into his whiskey, when Ellen came up behind him.  “Oh Mr. Singer, you ARE going to pay for this fiasco tonight,” she whispered in his ear.  “I’ve been dying to try out the new handcuffs I bought, let’s see how far you can go before you break.”  She didn’t wait around to see his reaction, but continued into the kitchen feeling his eyes on her the whole way.

As she walked into the kitchen, she noticed that Jo was leaning on the counter, worrying her lower lip with her teeth.  “Ok Jo, what’s wrong?”  Ellen asked as she tied her apron on.  Jo just looked at her; “They’re not really going to try and hurt Carrie, are they?” she asked in a small voice.  Yet another transgression to lay at the feet of one Bobby Singer.  “Now you listen to me Joanna Beth, no one is going to hurt Carrie.  I wouldn’t allow it and neither would Bobby.  Carrie’s family.  Besides, if they don’t behave you can practice your knife-throwing skills.”  Jo smiled at that and Ellen saw an evil glint come into her eyes.  Ellen just sighed and started putting the burgers together.


	8. Hail Hail, the Gang's All Here...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm super excited for this chapter...no Destiel yet but it's coming...this is more plot. I have to get this done before I can really dive into that part lol. Thank you so much for all your comments and kudos, they warm my heart and make we want to keep writing...so on that note, here you go and let me know what you think :)

“Sam,” Dean hollered down the hallway.  “Get your Jolly Green Giant self in here.  We gotta go.”

Dean rounded the corner to see Cas and Gabriel standing there.  “You two might as well come too.  Bobby said everyone,” said Dean as he walked towards the garage.  Ten minutes later, the Impala pulled out of the garage with two angels in the backseat.  They drove in silence with Dean checking the rearview mirror occasionally to make sure that Cas and Gabe were still in the car.  Gabe looked very serious and deep in thought.  _ Huh, there’s something you don’t see everyday _ , Dean thought wryly.

Beside Gabe, Cas stared out the window and Dean couldn’t help but admire how the sunset shone on Cas’ perpetual bedhead.  Just then he turned and saw Dean watching him.  Dean could stare into those blue eyes all day, they always made him feel safe and loved…   _ Loved.  No. No. No.  Stop that crazy train right now.  He’s a fellow soldier.  We understand each other and what it’s like to lose the ones we love.  I bet he’d give the best hugs and I’d give it up to feel his lips slowly moving over mine, our tongues dueling _ …  Dean shook his head to dispel the images that had just bombarded him.  He wanted the angel  so badly and was running out of self restraint.  _ Later.  As soon as we get a second without some big bad breathing down our necks.  I can at least talk to him and see what he’s thinking _ .

Dean was pulled out of his thoughts by Sam’s raised voice. “...I know I know her from somewhere, Gabe, and it’s driving me crazy.  There was something so familiar about her eyes and mouth, I just can’t put my finger on it.”

“Sam, we see thousands of people every year.  Maybe she just has that kind of face,” said Dean.

“No, that’s not it.  I’m telling you that I know her from somewhere,” insisted Sam, exasperation evident in his tone.

Dean rolled his eyes and went back to tuning out his brother’s ramblings.  They made it to the Roadhouse around nine that night, and the first thing Dean noticed was the place was empty.  He parked the car and the four of them got out warily.  Dean went around to the trunk and opened it.  He and Sam grabbed their guns, wanting to be ready for anything.

“Dean, look, it’s Bobby’s truck,” whispered Sam.  “Maybe Ellen just closed early.”

The howl startled all of them. It wasn’t an ordinary dog or wolf howl.  It made the hairs on the back of Dean’s neck stand up, and when he looked over to Sam, he saw his own feelings mirrored in his brother’s face.  He turned to say something to Cas and saw him standing next to him with his angel blade unsheathed and in his hand.   _ So, it’s going to be like that then.  Okay, here we go...again _ , thought Dean, as they approached the front door of the Roadhouse.  He and Sam, guns ready, opened the door.  They ran in, only to freeze in place when they take in the scene in front of them.  Crowley and Bobby were sitting at the bar talking to Ellen, while Jo, Ash and the mystery girl sat at a table playing cards.

“What the hell is going on here?” asked Dean irritably, still unwilling to believe his eyes.

“Hello Moose, Squirrel.  If it isn’t my two favorite nightmares,” snarked Crowley, while he sipped his Scotch.

“Boys,” greeted Bobby, holding up his beer bottle.

Dean spun around and glared at Gabriel, “Did you stick us in one of your little alternate universes?” he asked, his voice laced with anger.  “What the hell is going on here?” he yelled to the room at large.

“I believe I’m the one you’re looking for,” the mystery girl said, as she got up from the table.  Dean and Sam saw Jo reach out and lay her hand on the other woman’s arm.  She turned and smiled at Jo, assurance evident in her expression. Jo dropped her hand with a nod. The stranger walked over to them.  Cas and Gabe still hadn’t sheathed their angel blades and neither he nor Sam had relaxed the grip on their guns,  although Dean heard Sammy click the safety.

“You’re the girl from the hunt.  Thanks for the backup,” Dean said sarcastically, as he thumbed his own safety back on.

“Please, are you trying to tell me that you couldn’t handle a simple spirit?  You must be losing your touch.  Maybe you need to brush up on your skills a little bit,” she said, tossing her hair over her shoulder, returning Dean’s sarcasm with some of her own.  She looked up into Dean’s eyes and he felt like he had been hit by a bus.  Green eyes the exact same shade as his own stared back at him. He understood what Sam had said now, as a matter of fact, it was so much stronger.  He felt like this was someone he needed to protect with his life and that scared him even more.  

“Listen, girly, I don’t know who you think you are…” started Dean, trying desperately to hide his unease.

“Really, Dean?  Nothing?  Not even an inkling?” She queried, getting into his space now.  But before she could get too close, Cas jumped in between her and Dean brandishing his angel blade.

“I think not,” he growled.

“Cas, stop.” Dean and Gabe yelled simultaneously.  Dean looked over at Gabriel, but he looked like he had seen a ghost.  “Gabe?  You ok?” Dean asked, reaching out a hand to shake his shoulder.

“If you are done causing trouble, why don’t you idjits sit down and let Carrie tell her story.  It’s why y’all came here anyway,” said Bobby calmly from his bar stool.  Crowley snorted into his scotch at Bobby’s father-like tone. 

After a brief staredown between Cas and Carrie, which Dean was totally not jealous of...he was the only one who could stare at his angel, everyone sat down to hear Carrie’s story.

“Okay, so most of you know at least part of my story, so I’ll just tell you what I know and anyone who has more information,” she said looking over at Gabe and Crowley, “can fill it in after I’m done.” She walked over to the bar and took the tumbler of whiskey Ellen handed her.

“The short version is that my name is Carrie Walther, however that’s my adopted name.  I was adopted at birth and grew up with my family in Texas.  My parents owned a few houses and we traveled a lot. When my parents died fifteen years ago, I found out about the adoption.  My lawyer filled me in with what details he had, which weren’t many.  I found my hospital bracelet that had my birth parents’ last name on it.  I couldn’t let it go at that...couldn’t understand why my real parents hadn’t wanted me.  All I had was my date of birth and my real last name.  It had been a closed adoption, so documentation was well near impossible to come across. Desperate, I went to a crossroads hoping to make a deal.  I had studied arcane lore and Catholic dogma in college, so I had a rudimentary idea of what I was doing.”  Carrie took a deep breath and looked around the room, taking in the encouraging smile from Ellen and the strength from Jo to keep going.

“Crowley was the demon who answered my summons and I was so distraught when I saw him that I was willing to throw down my life for information.  However, Crowley didn’t take my soul or make a deal with me.” She gave the king of hell a warm look. “What he did was help me.  He taught me how to hunt and he taught me magic.  He told me that I was important, and heaven and hell were looking for me.  I had no idea what he was talking about and it drove me crazy.   He finally made me understand.  He told me about my real family and then led me into the supernatural world and helped me get strong.  He helped me build my ‘rabbit hole’ and ward it from everything.  Unless I specifically invited you, there was no way it could be found.”  Carrie took another deep breath and a swig of whiskey.  She still hadn’t given them her real name and she was dreading that part.  

“I met Ellen through hunting, and Bobby, as well.  I crawled into the Roadhouse one night after a hunt, bleeding and battered.  Ellen took me in.  I was incoherent and apparently told her most of the story.  She summoned Crowley to verify and has been like a surrogate mother ever since.  They are my family, just as much as my adopted parents were,” Carrie finished, looking around the room.  Ellen looked proud of her and Jo and Ash were smiling, nodding their heads.  Bobby was staring at his bottle, waiting for the rest.  Gabe was staring at her intently, as if he was trying to see into her soul and Cas had his head tilted as he studied her.  His gaze wasn’t as intense as Gabe’s, he merely looked thoughtful.  Dean and Sam were a study in opposites.  Sam was looking at her warmly, as if trying to give her strength and protect her at the same time.  Dean, however, was looking at her angrily and kept balling his hands into fists. 

"So, let me get this straight," said Dean, standing up and starting to pace.  "You're Crowley’s  _ adopted _ daughter, and you managed to trick these people into trusting you," Dean snarled, walking over to Carrie, not seeing Castiel behind him with his angel blade ready, watching intently.  "Sorry, sister, no deal here. We don't need any lackeys of Crowley hanging around. We prefer to  _ trust _ the people we surround ourselves with," said Dean, getting right in Carrie's face. 

Carrie had learned at a very young age to not give any ground to bullies, and to never let them see you cry. She had known that things would be tough, but the fact that all Dean had heard was Crowley and then judged her as unwanted. She turned and started to walk away, needing a minute to compose herself.  She dimly heard Jo and Ellen ripping into Dean as she stepped into the back room.  She only made it a few feet before her legs gave out and she sank to the floor. "Why did I ever think this was a good idea?" she whispered. 

"Cheer up, Kiddo, that could have gone much worse, believe me." Lifting up her head, she saw Gabe leaning on the wall next to her.  “Besides, Dean-o is all bluster and no bite, you learn to tune him out.  I’m very interested in you, however.  Dad’s plans never cease to amaze me.  How did you stay hidden for so long?  Most of heaven has been trying to find out if you really exist or were just another piece of misinformation.”

“So, you know who I am?” Carrie stood and faced him head on.  “You know who my biological parents and siblings are?” she asked, with a trace of bitterness in her voice.

“Look, Sweetheart, you may think you got a bum rap, but you made out the best of anyone.  You would have been better off if you had stayed out completely.  No one willingly walks into this life. Most are desperately trying to get out,” said the angel, pushing off the wall.  Gabe was watching her to see what her reaction was.  She was good at hiding her feelings but,  _ hello _ ...archangel here.  Plus, he could see the lost little girl under all of the bravado. She just wanted her family, her real family, to love and accept her and boy could Gabriel understand that feeling.  “Dean’s a dick, but he loves his family.  Unfortunately, until you tell him who you are, you are just another outsider.”

“Outsider?  That’s really funny.  You know they’re my brothers, but do you know the best part?  Do you, Gabriel?” Carrie asked, pushing off the wall and stalking over.  “Dean isn’t  _ just  _ my brother, he’s my _ twin _ .  Younger than me by three minutes.  He supposed to be the one person that I can just be myself with because he’s half of me,” said Carrie, getting right in Gabriel’s face.  

The archangel leaned into her and then pulled back as if he hadn’t meant to get that close.

“Look kid, you need to just tell him.  It’s not going to get any easier the longer you take, and you might need to save him from Ellen and Jo.  Otherwise, you may lose your twin before he even knows that he has another half.” Gabriel snapped his fingers and Carrie realized that she was now back in the main bar room, barely a foot from Dean.  She looked into his eyes and all she wanted to do was throw her arms around him and Sam.

“I’m your sister.  Actually, I’m your  _ twin _ sister, Dean.  Surprise?” Carrie finished with more bravado than she felt. She looked down at her feet, unable and unwilling to see Dean’s reaction. 


	9. Could this be real?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that the chapters are not all the same length, but I'm kind of just stopping them when the story pauses, lol. Enjoy some of Sam's POV :)
> 
> As always, please comment and kudos. They make writing so much easier lol

 

Silence, long and heavy, took up residence in the bar.  Everyone jumped when Gabe put another lollipop into his mouth with a loud pop.

“Oh, don’t mind me.  Just enjoying the show,” he snarked.  “What, no big family hug?”

Carrie looked up at her brothers, scared of what she would see, but determined to face it anyway.  She wasn’t a coward and she’d be damned if she was going to run from the only blood family she had.

“I don’t understand.  Dean’s twin? How is that even possible?” asked Sam, incredulous.  “How come Dad never said anything, or tried to find you?”

“I’m not sure.  I didn’t even know I was adopted until my parents died.  I was going through their old boxes and papers and I found my hospital bracelet from when I was born.  Baby Girl Winchester. I had my lawyer dig and find out everything he could. All we were able to find is that my parents were John and Mary Winchester and I was born in Lawrence, Kansas, the twin sister of Dean Winchester.”  Carrie was pacing while she retold this part of the story. She wanted her family to accept her, but she wasn’t going to beg. She had her own life and didn’t need them, but she couldn’t deny the ache she felt at their rejection.

Carrie was so deep in thought that she didn’t notice Cas walking up to her until she almost walked over him.  She stumbled over her own feet and her head snapped up. He put his hands on her face, turning her side to side.  Partly to steady her, but also to get a closer look. “It’s amazing,” Castiel said, still staring at her. “She is just like him, they even have the same soul, so bright and pure.”

“Ok, Cassie.  Get your hands off of her.  No one likes to be molested, especially in front of their family,” said Gabe, walking over and pulling Castiel’s hands off of her.

“Yeah, Cas.  For once I agree with your dick of a brother.  Come on, I don’t need this shit,” snarled Dean as he dragged Castiel out of the bar.

* * *

 

Sam watched Dean drag Cas out the front door and had to fight back a laugh. Cas was rolling his eyes and telling Dean how ridiculous he was behaving. Once the front door closed, he looked back at Carrie, no, his big sister. He knew he should hold back and wait to see how it played out, but every instinct he had was screaming at him that she was the real deal. And when she turned and stared him in the eyes, he felt like he had been punched in the stomach. Those were Dean’s eyes. Suddenly, he was rushing over and elbowing Gabe out of the way to wrap his arms around his sister. 

“Samsquatch, she still needs to breathe,” Gabe snarked. “Your giant moose appendages are going to crush her.”

Sam pulled back a little to look her over from head to toe and felt the tears welling in his eyes. He thought about Adam, the little brother they weren't able to save, and swore to himself that he was going to do whatever it took to keep Carrie safe and alive. “Hey, big sister, glad to meet you,” said Sam, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. 

Carrie ducked her head and Sam knew she was hiding tears. If she was anything like Dean, feelings weren’t to be shared. Twins? He still couldn’t believe it and he worriedly glanced at the door, wondering how Dean was handling this. 

“Hi Sammy,” Carrie said, keeping her eyes downcast. When she looked up at him, cheeks stained with tears, he greeted her with a warm smile and tears of his own.  She threw herself into his chest and clung to him. He felt a wave of protectiveness and a feeling of home roll over him again. He had a sister. He knew, logically, that he should be more wary .  There were a lot of monsters and people who wanted to get their hands on a Winchester, but the feeling of family was so strong, it was drowning out everything else.

“It’s okay now.  We’re all here and that’s what counts,” Sam said as he lead her over to a booth and sat down with her on one side, keeping his arm around her and pulling her tight to his side. Jo, Ash and Gabe crowding the other side.  “Why don’t you start at the beginning so we’re all on the same page?”

“What about Dean?  Should we wait for him too?” asked Carrie after finished the shot of whiskey Ellen had put down in front of her.

“Ummmmm,” Sam fidgeted in his seat as Carrie looked at him and it was like he was looking into Dean’s eyes again.  “It’s probably going to take some time for him to come around. Let’s get it out now, and we can always rehash it later if need be.”

Carrie took a deep breath before she began.  She looked at Ellen and Bobby, seeming to gain confidence.  “Y’all might as well come over too. Neither of you have heard the whole story and the fewer times I have to retell it the better.”  Ellen pulled up a stool and Bobby stood behind her with his hand on her shoulder. She started at the beginning with her adopted parents passing away and the will.  She explained how she had found out that she was adopted and that was when she started searching which subsequently led to her becoming a hunter. Sam knew she was leaving a lot of stuff out, but he decided not to call her out on it. There would be time later to find out the details about her early life.  When she finished talking, Sam saw her look around cautiously as though waiting for the other shoe to drop. As he looked around, all he saw was support and cautious acceptance in the faces of the people around them. Too bad Dean wasn’t here to hear her story.


	10. Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!! Here's the next chapter for you. I tried to not end it on such a cliffhanger this time, lol. We'll get a better look into what Dean's thinking and the fallout... Your kudos and comments make me so happy!!! Thank you all and I'm glad that you're enjoying it so much. Keep those comments and kudos coming lol

“Come on, Cas,” Dean shouted. “You can’t seriously believe that horse shit she was spewing in there.  My sister? And even better, my  _ twin _ sister?  There’s no way it’s true.  I don’t believe it. Dad wouldn’t have kept that from me. Mom wouldn’t have let anyone take her baby.  I would have known…” Dean trailed off, angrily kicking the dirt and gravel on the ground and ignoring the voice in his head that was reminding him of how he felt when he first saw her.  He saw himself in her eyes and felt a piece of himself clicking into place when he looked at her.

Cas watched him rampage around without a word, gazing at him calmly.  _ Well, fuck that, he hadn’t just had his whole world ripped out from under him. Cas couldn’t understand the fear and yes, the hope that what she was saying was true, _ Dean thought to himself.  “Why would she go through all this trouble to lie to you Dean?  She didn’t have to tell you who she was, she could have just stayed away.  We’ve never crossed paths with her previously and we probably never would have.  She’s not a demon or a witch, and her soul is almost identical to yours,” Cas said, walking over to where Dean was and placing his hand on his shoulder. Dean knew it was meant to reassure him and for an instant, he wanted to lean against the angel and forget the last thirty minutes had ever happened.

Dean looked up at Cas.  He could feel the hope showing in his eyes and knew Cas could see it as well.  He slammed down his mental shields because now wasn’t the time to have a chick flick moment.  “I can’t, Cas. I can’t just believe her like that, and it’s better for her if I stay away. I’m poison and I kill everything I touch.  Look at how many times you and Sammy have died because of me. Better yet, look at how many other people have died and not come back. I just can’t do this to her, Cas, especially if she really is who she says she is.  I’ll head out by myself if I have to,” said Dean, resolve strong in his voice.

“Dean…”

“No, Cas,” said Dean, shrugging off his hand.  “I refuse to drag someone else down with me. Tell Bobby I’ll be in touch.”

“Dean, stop,” ordered Castiel.  Dean felt a shiver run through him at the sound of the angel’s gravelly voice and his feet seemed to be stuck in place.  “You cannot run from this. You should at least hear her out. You say that family is the most important thing to you, but you are turning your back on that family.  Bobby, Ellen, Jo, Sam and now Carrie. Maybe you need to give her a chance. You can tell when people are lying to you, so go listen to her story and then pass your judgement.  She deserves a chance.”

Dean shook his head with regret and walked over to the Impala.  He looked over at him, hoping that Cas would hear his thoughts, “ _ Sorry Cas, but I’m not doing this right now.  Keep an eye on everyone for me and I’ll be in touch. _ ”  He got into the car and peeled out of the parking lot, leaving Cas in a cloud of dust.  Dean turned up the radio to try and drown out the thoughts in his head. Dangerous thoughts that were saying things like family, love, sister, and angel.  Carrie’s face and Cas’ face were swirling around in his mind, both of them hurt and upset. “This is why I don’t get involved, I just let people down.” After letting his mind swirl around, he finally started to take notice of his surroundings again and hear music start to filter in.  “ _ So close, no matter how far.  Couldn’t be much more from the heart.  Forever, trust in who you are. And nothing else matters. _ ”  Dean reached over and turned off the radio.  “ _ I can’t even go for a drive without my music fucking with me _ ,” thought Dean.  He pulled over to the side of the road to try and sort through his thoughts.  That song had brought up images of Castiel. No matter how far apart they were, they were still in sync with each other.  He was always in Dean’s heart because that’s where he kept the things that mean the most to him. And trust...Cas trusted him no matter what, that stupid son of a bitch.  He believed in him without question and that had always made Dean uncomfortable. After all, he knew how fucked up he was. He had almost ended the world more than once. He wouldn’t bring Cas down with him, he had to get his X-rated thoughts under control.  He could feel himself start to get hard as he pictured Cas’ blue eyes and lithe body. Those chapped lips and hair that was just begging for Dean’s fingers. He could imagine being on his knees, looking up at the angel while worshipping his cock. Cas would grab his hair and pull a little bit, and his eyes would go dark blue.  Dean groaned and reached down to palm his cock to try and alleviate some of the pressure. He had to change his train of thought immediately. Thinking about Carrie, he felt himself deflate almost immediately. Carrie was a conundrum he hadn’t figured out yet, what was he going to do with HER? Could she really be who she says she is?  Sam believed her as did Ellen and Jo...Hell, even BOBBY believed she was who she said she was. Why would she want to be a part of his family, why would she want to be his twin? He was poison that killed everything he touched. He shook his head, his thoughts were driving him crazy so maybe it was time to try and outrun them again. Pulling the Impala back on the road, Dean floored the gas in the hopes of leaving his thoughts and demons in the dust.

Gabriel stepped out the door just in time to see the Impala speed out of the parking lot. “Well, no surprise there.” His brother turned at Gabriel’s words.  “Big bad Dean Winchester running away again. Don’t you get sick of it, bro?”

Cas sighed and rubbed his forehead. Gabriel gave him a fond look, knowing Castiel was frustrated.  “Gabriel, unless you have something useful to contribute to the situation, please be quiet.”

Gabriel walked over and stood next to Cas, both watching the Impala’s tail lights disappear into the darkness. Gabriel knew without looking the light was fading from his brother’s eyes. One of these days, Gabe was going to smite Dean Winchester and no one would be able to bring him back. Gabriel moved closer to Castiel, wanting to comfort the angel who had fallen for a human, but knew it wouldn’t be appreciated. 

“You know she’s the real deal, Cassie.  You can see it just like I can, and you heard what Balthazar found.  Someone tampered with Heaven’s archives to hide her and now she’s sought them out.  She’s out in broad daylight, on the radar, and who knows who or what’s going to be after her, after them.  What are we going to do to protect her? She’s a Winchester, after all, which means there’s no end to the amount of trouble that she can and will cause.” 

If Cas noticed Gabriel had included himself, he didn’t mention it.  “I think that she shares a part of my bond with Dean. There have been times in the past when I was with Dean, I felt like he was calling out to me, but he was with me.  I didn’t know what to think in the past, but it makes a lot of sense now. And to preempt your next question, no. I do not feel the same way about Carrie as I do about Dean.  She is, as you say, fair game,” deadpanned Castiel, making air quotes with his fingers. Gabriel stood there, gaping at Cas for the unaccustomed teasing. Castiel smirked at him before turning and walking back into the Roadhouse.

“Oh, so now he has a sense of humor?” grumbled Gabriel, sucking on his lollipop with the force of a Hoover vacuum cleaner.  Turning, he followed the retreating back of his brother, feeling better that he was going back inside, but refusing to examine why.  Gabriel opened the door and let himself smile at the rag tag bunch he saw inside. “Okay, Dad, you can run for now but you have some ‘splaining to do.  And not just to me, you owe it to her, Sam and Dean as well. And if you think that I’m going to stop digging then you are so wrong,” Gabe murmured the short prayer heavenward, or wherever Chuck happened to be and, after not getting an answer, walked inside.


	11. Be Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for how long this took me...SeaCon was amazing and Vancouver was just as good. I got to see a lot of the places that the show has shot on location including the Heaven's Gate park lol. It was awesome!!! To thank you all for hanging in there, I'm posting a chapter today and you'll get another one on Friday as normal lol. Kudos and comments to let me know how you're liking it; we're really starting to dig into the meat of this fic. I had originally planned for about 20K, but it just keeps going up lol.

   

Carrie sat on the inside of the booth with a plate of fries and one of Ellen’s cheeseburgers in front of her.  Sam was there next to her, Ellen and Bobby sat across from them, and Cas was at the end of the table. Jo and Ash sat at another table quietly talking to Crowley about some demonic activity that had been cropping up all over the country lately.  Carrie had to keep pinching herself to convince herself that this was really real. She had her “family” and her brothers -- well, one of them -- with her, and it was wonderful.

“So, Carrie,” Sam said, turning towards her.  “I know that Dean seems like a real asshole for what he did, but I promise you, he’s not really like that.  He’s got a huge heart and a need to protect everyone within his sphere, however, he’s allergic to actually talking about feelings or anything like that.  So when anything emotional comes up, he runs away. He’ll be back, eventually his curiosity will get the better of him.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah...Dean-o is emotionally constipated.  Doesn’t mean you should have to suffer kiddo. Say the word and I can send him back to the Mystery Spot...or even TV Land,” Gabriel chuckled darkly.  

“Thanks Gabe, but that’s not going to make me feel better.  And I’d have to hurt you for hurting my brother.” Carrie said, rolling her eyes.

“Yeah Gabe, you do that to my brother again and we are going to have a problem,” threatened Sam.  “I may not be able to kill you but I can definitely make you very, very uncomfortable. Remember that I’m not as blind as my brother is,” he smirked and stole a fry off of Carrie’s plate.

* * *

 

Gabe shot Sam a glare of biblical proportions but stuck a lollipop in his mouth and was quiet...for now.  Not sulking, just thinking. “ _ I wonder if I can finally push Cassie into making his move on Dean.  I need him distracted, but also here for Sam and Carrie...And I need to talk to Balthy because there is some seriously shady shit going on with all of this.  If the records were changed in Heaven, then there’s no way Carrie should have been able to find out who the hell she really was. Something’s brewing and I need to get in front of it _ ,” thought Gabriel.  All he said out loud was, “Sayonara suckers.”  Then he snapped his fingers and disappeared.

* * *

 

Carrie looked startled as his sudden departure and turned to Sam, “Ummmmm...does he always do that?”

“That and worse,” Sam sighed, rolling his eyes.  “You never know where and when he’s going to pop in and out.  And the more dramatic the better. So Ellen, where are we now? Any good hunts happening in the area?  Anything for us to do while Dean sulks somewhere?”

Carrie tuned out the sound of Ellen and Sam talking, needing some time with her thoughts.  She’s already lost one of her brothers and she was so ANGRY about it. What right does he have to act all pissy with her?  Like she asked for her parents to be killed -- both sets! She didn’t ask for ANY of this and felt so lost right now. She felt the anger and sadness welling up inside of her, her thoughts just running around and around in her head and a ringing was starting in her ears.  The next thing she knew, she was looking into a ring of concerned faces. Flushing red, she tried to sit up quickly but there were hands on her shoulders and head. “Whaa…” Carrie stuttered. Clearing her throat, she tried again. “What happened?”

“I think you were a little overwhelmed there, Carrie.  Why don’t you go with Jo and lay down for a little bit,” said Ellen, giving Carrie her best I’m-the-mom-just-do-what-I-say look.

“Thanks, Ellen, but I’m ok.  I just needed a second to process,” Carrie said as she sat up and pulled on her braid.  “So, Dean’s not here, but I’m sure that y’all have thoughts, questions, concerns or whatever.  Hit me with your best shot,” she said, squaring her shoulders and putting on her mask -- almost like armor.

“Now might not be the best time for this, darling.  Why don’t you get some sleep and we can do the inquisition in the morning?  You look like hell, and I would know,” Crowley chuckled with a hint of steel underneath.  Carrie looked over at him and saw that he wasn’t going to be moved and he would knock her out himself if he had to.  She didn’t want to start a fight in the bar, and she also knew that she wanted them to trust Crowley as she did. If he knocked her out, they would never trust him.

“Fine.” Carrie sighed and slowly extricated herself from the booth.  She knew they were going to talk about her as soon as she left, but she was mentally and emotionally exhausted.  She had a sleeping spell from Maggie that she had every intention of using ‘cause she was done with today. “Good night, everyone, and thank you.  Ellen, I know I brought chaos to the Roadhouse again, and I’m sorry. I’ll make breakfast tomorrow morning to make it up to you.” Carrie shuffled to the back where Ash AKA Dr. Badass and Jo hung out to crash on the couch there.  As she closed the door behind her, she could hear their voices behind her. 

Carrie sat on the futon and dropped her head into her hands.  For the first time in a while, she was all alone and she needed it to process through everything in her head.  Her twin brother had walked away from her without a backwards glance. Then her younger brother seemed to accept her with open arms, but she had her suspicions about that.  “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer,” Carrie thought to herself. “Is that what he’s doing? I don’t know him well enough to tell, but I just don’t think that he’s being genuine with me.”  Carrie sat there vacillating between deciding that she didn’t need either one of them and wanting them to wrap her in a huge hug and never let her go.

“Hey Carrie, you good back here?” Jo asked as she peeked around the door.  Carrie lifted her head to look at her friend. Jo’s eyes were worried and there was a small frown on her face.  She came all the way in the room and closed the door behind her. Carrie noticed that Jo looked concerned, but also a little nervous.  Carrie wracked her brain to try and figure out what Jo could possibly be nervous about. Maybe it wasn’t  _ what _ but  _ who _ .

“Jo…” Carrie drawled, “Are you interested in my brother?” Carrie watched a myriad of emotions cross her face and had to stifle a giggle.  It was absurd to be laughing right now, but maybe that was exactly what she needed.

“NO!” Jo denied hotly.  “Carrie, no. I’m not...I mean…”  Jo stumbled over her words and Carrie forced a cough to cover her laughter.  “Carrie, are you friggen’ LAUGHING at me?!?!?!” Jo hissed.

“I’m sorry, Jo, but you should see your FACE right now!”  Carrie dissolved into hopeless giggles on the futon. “Oh wow, I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time.”

“Carrie,” Jo growled, “Stop it.”

“Hmmmmmm,” Carrie teased.  “It’s not Dean, ‘cause Cas would probably smite you.  And I think you’d kill Gabe if you had to spend too much time with him.  You and Ash have known each other forever, so it’s not him. I don’t think you’re into the dad thing, so it’s not Bobby.  Plus your mom already beat you to that one,” Carrie laughed. “So that leaves my little brother Sam.” As Carrie said that, she was watching Jo’s face very carefully.  She saw the flash of pink and her eyes shift when she said Sam’s name. “OH. MY. GOD! You have a crush on my little brother! You want to kiss him…” Carrie jumped up and started dancing around Jo.  As Carrie teased her, she realized that she felt lighter than she had in awhile. Maybe this was really what she had needed. 

“Yeah well what about YOUR crush?” Jo taunted as Carrie stopped short at her words.  “Don’t think that I didn’t notice you staring at Gabriel like you wanted to taste that.  You kinky freak,” Jo laughed at her, looking way too smug now.

Carrie felt her face heat up and was deciding how to retort when Sam walked in.  He looked very tense and guarded. Both girls stopped and then Jo stood in front of Carrie.  Carrie was reminded of Rifle when he was trying to protect her. “Jo, stand down. Sam’s not going to hurt me.  I took him down once, I can do it again,” she teased, winking at Sam to show she was teasing. She saw both Jo and Sam visibly relax and she decided to push a little bit.  “Hey little brother, obviously Dean is spoken for, but who’s your other half?” Carrie queried, shooting a look over to Jo.

“Dean’s not spoken for...his head is too far up his ass for that,” Sam laughed.  “And as for me, well, it’s hard to be with someone when you’re a hunter. How do you explain that the things that go bump in the night are real?”  Sam asked, his laughter fading away.

Carrie noticed Sam glance over at Jo and then look away when she tried to sneakily look at him.  “Oh, brother,” Carrie thought. “I feel like I’m in a bad high school romance.” Ignoring the two of them, she tried to come up with ways to push them together without being too obvious.  She knew that if she pushed too hard, Jo would dig in her heels and turn obstinate . From there, her thoughts turned to her bigger issue. Her twin brother and her relationship, or lack of, with him.  And speaking of relationships, if she was going to push Sam and Jo together, she would have to take a shot at her brother and the angel. “Well if nothing else, this should be fun,” she thought to herself.

"Ok guys, everyone out.  I need to get some sleep," Carrie said, making a shooing motion with her hands to emphasize her point.  "I can't sleep with all y'all in here. I'll be fine," she said, forestalling Jo’s and Sam's attempts to protest.  "You guys will be right outside. I'll scream if I need anything." Carrie laughed as she crawled under the blankets.  Jo came over and gave her a huge hug and then left the room. That just left Sam there.

"I'm really glad that you're here, Carrie.  And I won't let anything happen to you, I promise.  On my word as a Winchester." Sam kissed her forehead and walked out, turning the lights off behind him.  Carrie rolled over and fell asleep with a smile on her face.


	12. Now you see it...Now you don't

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel goes hunting for information...

“This just doesn’t make any sense.” Gabriel grumbled, flipping through a large book.  He had flown back up to Heaven to see if he could raid the old archives for the Winchester’s family book.  The Winchester bloodline has always been strong and had been involved in just about every part of history, flipping between Heaven and Hell.  Gabriel closed his eyes, and probed at the book with his grace. As he tried to probe through the spells and enchantments on the book, he noticed that there was a gaping empty hole.  As he tried to poke into it, he felt a shock go through his grace and everything went black.

“GABRIEL!”

Gabriel’s first thought was that he was going to smite whoever was yelling at him.  Then he realized that he was looking at his vessel lying on the floor and someone was shaking it.  “What the hell happened?” Gabriel thought as he inserted himself back into his vessel. He opened his eyes and looked into Balthazar’s concerned face.  “Balthy, I’m here, relax. Are you trying to shake some sense into me, ‘cause I can tell you that it’s a futile endeavor,” Gabriel laughed as he stood up and shook out his six wings.  He turned around to grab the book he had been looking at but there was nothing there.

“What the… Balthy, did you move anything when you came in here?” queried Gabriel, shuffling papers around on the desk.

“No, Gabe, seeing you lying on the floor kind of took all of my attention,” Balthazar sneered, leaning against the table with his arms crossed.  “What are you looking for anyway?”

Gabriel leaned on the desk and closed his eyes, regrouping for a second.  “Balthy, why would someone take a piece of the most important bloodline in history and hide it.  And when that piece resurfaced, they destroyed the family book. Something isn’t kosher here,” he said, standing up and turning around.  “Dad has to be up to something; he’s the only one that is powerful enough to alter the archives.” Gabriel mumbled as he shuffled papers around on the table.

“Gabe, maybe you shouldn’t be messing around in this.  This is a lot bigger than dyeing our brothers’ and sisters’ wings for a prank.  This could have cosmic consequences,” said Balthazar, looking more serious than Gabriel had witnessed in a few millennia.

“Balthy, I appreciate your concern, I really do, but I need to figure this out.  Carrie could be in a lot of danger. And by extension, Cassie,” Gabriel mumbled as she turned to the bookshelves behind him.

“Carrie, huh?  Sounds like you have a little bit of a crush there brother.  Something you want to share with the rest of the class?” he teased, yanking a feather out of Gabriel’s top wing when he walked by.

“OUCH, you arrogant DICK!  What was that for?” Gabriel yelled, rubbing his top wing bone where the feather had been a moment before.  Glaring at Balthazar, Gabriel had a perfectly evil idea come to mind. His eyes lit up and his mouth curved into a wicked grin.

“Oh no.  I know what that looks means.  I’m out of here before the shit hits the fan this time.  Plus, I have no desire to be on the receiving end of what that look is.  Ciao.” And with that, Balthazar disappeared in a whoosh of feathers.

“When all else fails, sometimes all you need is the hint of danger,” Gabriel laughed to himself.  “Now, if I wanted to protect someone who was blood related to the most annoying stubborn human that I’ve ever met, how would I do that?”  Gabriel closed his eyes, looking for some inspiration. “Dad, I really need your help with this. You’ve gone out of your way to keep them separated from each other, but they’re together now.  Well, they were before Dean went off half-cocked. There’s already whispers about her floating around. She may be a hunter but she’s totally vulnerable and I can’t imagine that you kept her hidden for all this time just to have her die now.  The missing pages are proof that you aren’t ready to tip your hand yet, but PLEASE help me to help them. The damn Winchesters. Why did you have to make the saviors of the world the most annoying humans ever?” Gabriel wound down his prayer and opened his eyes.  Everything was the same, no clues or anything out of place. Gabriel let out a huge sigh, not expecting anything to be there but hoping that he would be pleasantly surprised. “Time to get back to the kids,” he said to the empty room, and snapped his fingers.

_ As soon as Gabriel disappeared, a figure appeared in the room holding an old leather bound book.  He placed it on the table smiling at the space where one of his eldest had just been. “Oh, Gabriel, it’s not often that I can stay ahead of you.  Be patient; I promise to not leave any of you alone and unprotected.” With that, the figure disappeared as quietly as it had appeared. _

* * *

 

Gabriel appeared back at the Roadhouse, but decided to remain invisible so he could watch over his family without interfering.  First he popped into the back room and saw Carrie sleeping peacefully, one hand tucked under her chin. He smiled softly and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.  He sent a small wave of grace towards her, putting her into an even deeper sleep.

Reappearing back in the main room with a snap, he looks around and felt something like contentment wash over him as he saw Crowley and Bobby snarking at each other and Ellen and Jo arguing over a possible hunt with Sam looking on and laughing at everyone while Cas toyed with a beer bottle.  “Yup,” he thought, “this is perfect. I’m not going to let anything happen to any of you.”

“Gabriel, not everyone is here” he heard in his head.

Rolling his eyes at his brother, “I know Cassie.  Don’t worry, I got him too… Maybe.” Gabriel laughed out loud at that and felt a sharp poke to his grace.  “Relax, little bro, I won’t let anyone hurt him. And that includes himself.”


	13. Oh brother MY brother...one out of two isn't bad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes it is so obvious when people are related...

Carrie opened her eyes to sunlight coming in through the window overhead.  She sat up and stretched, smiling at how good she felt this morning and wondering if anyone else was awake yet.  After showering and getting dressed, Carrie knew she was going to need coffee to chase the last of the cobwebs out of her head so she walked out into the main room and noticed Sam sitting in one of the booths hunched over her laptop with a book open next to him.  She grabbed a cup of coffee and slid into the booth across from him.

“Morning, little brother.  What’s got you looking so intense this morning?  And WHY are you using MY laptop? How the hell did you crack my password?” she asked, eyes narrowing as she sipped on her black coffee.  “God what I’d give for an Americano right now,” she mumbled under her breath.

“Morning, sleepyhead.  How’d you sleep?” Sam asked without looking up from his screen and totally ignoring the question about her laptop.

“Good.  What’re you looking at that you couldn’t find on your own laptop?” Carrie asked, getting out of the booth and sitting next to Sam.

“Looks like there’s something out in Colorado.  Maybe a shapeshifter? Or a werewolf? Not really sure, everything is a little sketchy at the moment.  I think I’ll head out there today,” he said. “Hop out Shortie, I need to get ready.” Sam said, closing Carrie’s laptop and turning to nudge Carrie in the side.

Carrie just sat there, sipping her coffee, looking contemplative.  “Nope,” she said. looking over at Sam. “First of all, don’t touch my stuff without asking.  Second of all, you need to tell me how you hacked my password so I can make sure that it doesn’t happen again.  And third of all, I think what you meant to say is that WE are going to head out there today.”

“No,” Sam said unequivocally.

“I’m sorry?” Carrie asked incredulously.  “No? I KNOW that you aren’t trying to bench me for a hunt.  I’ve been hunting for a long time Sam, you have NO RIGHT to try and keep me from a hunt.” Carrie said heatedly, eyes flashing angrily.  

“Carrie,” Sam sighed, closing his eyes.  “It’s not that I don’t have confidence in your abilities, but I JUST found out who you are.  Give me a break, and a little understanding here. This isn’t just a hunt with a fellow hunter, this is a hunt with my SISTER.  Someone I JUST found out existed.”

“Sam, I get it, but I’m not leaving my LITTLE BROTHER unprotected when I JUST found him” she said, throwing his logic right back at him.  “And you need a ride since Dean has the car.” Carrie smirked, grabbing her laptop before standing up and walking away secure in the knowledge that she had won the argument.  When she got back in the room, Jo and Ellen were there, waiting for her. Carrie started packing her bag, the silence starting to unnerve her a little bit. 

“Ok, spill it,” Carrie said.  “I need to get packed before Sam changes his mind and leaves me behind.”

“Nothing Carrie, we’re just glad that you’re going with him.  Make sure you take advantage of this opportunity to talk to each other.  Just the two of you in the car will give you a lot of opportunity to hash things out between you.”  Ellen said, walking over to give her a hug.

“Yeah, try to not be as emotionally constipated as your twin,” Jo laughed, hugging her as well.

“Pot, kettle,” Carrie laughed at Jo.  She finished with her bag and looked around.  “Ok, I have everything I need and all the weapons are in the… oh, crap,” Carrie said, smacking herself in the forehead.

“Where are your weapons, Carrie?” Ellen asked, narrowing her eyes.

“No, I have them.  Well, most of them.  It’s just I have the Mercedes and not my Charger.  The Mercedes sticks out like a sore thumb when I’m anywhere but the big cities.”  Carrie said, unconsciously pulling on her braid while thinking.

“Hello Darling,” came the cultured accent next to her.  “I already took care of your little car problem last night.  I know that you like slumming it while you are hunting.” Crowley sneered.

“Not slumming, Crowley; it’s called self-preservation,” Carrie said, hashing out the old argument.  “My Charger blends in better. And thank you, I appreciate it,” Carrie said as she slung her bag over her shoulder and walked out.

“Not one word,” Crowley warned Ellen when he noticed her looking at him.

“My lips are sealed, but don’t think that she and I don’t already know, you old softie,” Ellen laughed as she followed Carrie out of the room.

Outside, Carrie had finished loading up the Charger and turned to Sam.  “You ready, Sam?”

“Yeah, let’s go,” Sam sighed as he got into the car.  “Might as well get it over with.”

“Awww, Sam, you really know how to make a girl feel loved,” Carrie teased as she pulled out of the Roadhouse parking lot.  She turned on her iPod and soon Led Zeppelin was blasting out of the speakers.

“Well, there’s no question of who’s her twin now,” Sam mumbled under his breath pulling out his laptop, resigning himself to a long, loud drive.

* * *

 

“Wake up Sleeping Beauty,” Carrie laughed as she threw a wrapper at her brother's head.

“Waaah,” Sam spluttered, jerking awake.

“OMG!  You should have seen your FACE!” Carrie laughed hysterically at Sam’s bitchface.  As she calmed down from her hysteria, she looked over at Sam and saw him still glaring at her, but there was something soft in his eyes.  Right then and there, Carrie realized that she had a brother. A flesh and blood brother who loved her and could hunt with her. She resolutely pushed away any thought of Dean; she had Sam and that was enough.

She pulled into the hotel parking lot, grabbed her bag and got out.  She turned to say something to Sam and noticed he was still sitting in the car.  “Dude,” Cassie said as she knocked on his window. “Come on, who wants to sit in the car all day?”

Sam opened the door and slowly got out of the car.  “We’re going to stay here?”

“Yeah, why?  Come ON Sam, I really want to do some laps and then shower and relax.  You look like you’ve never been to a hotel before.” Carrie laughed as she walked away.

“Carrie, how are you paying for this?”  Sam asked, eyes darting everywhere. Carrie stopped and looked at him.

“Sam, it’s really not a big deal.  Can we just get inside and we can talk about it in the room?” Carrie said evasively, walking over to Sam and hooking her arm through his.  Sam shook his head as if to clear it and silently followed Carrie into the hotel.

“Sorry about that, Carrie, kinda spaced out there for a minute.  I’m good now,” Sam said, smiling at her. “So how far are we from the scene of the attacks?”

Carrie sent him a concerned/confused look but decided that she would let it go for now.  “We’re about 10 minutes away. I thought this would give us some room to walk around and see if I’m right and it’s a shapeshifter,” she laughed as they got on the elevator.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know y'all are waiting patiently for more Dean and Carrie interaction and I promise that you're going to get it!!! But I need to solidify some other things first. Not the best idea to build two huge relationships at once lol...hang in there lol


	14. Intentions and Protectors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes it's hard to tell who is really an enemy...

“Eww...three shapeshifters, Sam.  THREE. And there’s still one more lurking out there.  This goo is so disgusting,” Carrie grumbled, trying to pick the shapeshifter out of her hair while Sam followed her.  She knew that there was one more in the sewers, but she didn’t even care if they heard her right now she was so grossed out.

“Shhhhhhh,” Sam said, grabbing onto Carrie’s arm.  “There’s someone right down the tunnel,” he whispered, pulling out his gun.  The two of them crept down the tunnel, keeping to the sides so they weren’t splashing all over the place.  Carrie was in front because she insisted that she could distract it while Sam shot it. Great plan in theory, but this was the most wily of the shifters.  As they rounded a corner, a hand shot out and grabbed Carrie by her coat.

“PUT ME DOWN YOU BASTARD,” Carrie yelled as she tried to grab the gun in her waistband.  But the shifter had wrapped his arms around her upper body so she was basically pinned. “Oh, HELL fucking no,” Carrie thought to herself.  She kicked her feet to get some purchase against the wall and then pushed off with all her might. It threw the shifter off balance and she was able to wiggle out of his arms.  Spinning around, she grabbed her gun and shot him in the head. “Suck that, you bitch,” she said wiping her arm across her forehead. All of a sudden she was spun around by her shoulder.

“ARE YOU FUCKING CRAZY?!?!?!?!?!  Why would you take on a shapeshifter by yourself?”  Suddenly, Carrie found herself looking into green eyes that were snapping with fire.  “Listen, little girl, I’m not sure who you think you are, but you don’t take on hunts like this without backup.  What an amateur,” Dean sneered at her.

Carrie refused to be cowed, and actually she was pissed.  Basically incandescent with anger at her brother and his assumption that she couldn’t handle herself.  “You listen to me, you arrogant DICK. I got him, he grabbed me, I got away, and I KILLED him,” she said, inching closer till she was toe to toe with Dean.  “No one asked you to come and help. Sam and I had it under control. Besides, what do you care? I’m an imposter, remember? Not good enough to be a sainted Winchester.  Go away, Dean,” she finished, turning away from him and starting to walk away.

Dean grabbed her shoulder again, but instead of pushing her away, he pulled her into a hug resting his chin on her head.  “I thought you were dead for a second,” he said. “I still don’t know if I totally believe you or not, but maybe we should talk about it more.”

Carrie couldn’t believe what she was hearing, Dean was willing to listen and was maybe already halfway towards believing her.  She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Sam came around the corner with his gun drawn and saw Dean hugging Carrie. He tucked his gun away and slumped against the wall.

“Ok, guys,” Sam said, as Carrie pulled away from Dean.  “Let’s get back to the hotel and figure this out.” She gave Dean an unreadable look, then turned around and started walking back down the sewer to the car.  When they exited the tunnel, Carrie saw the Impala parked next to her Charger and decided to tease Dean a little bit.

“Oh, brother, a ‘67?  Can your Grandpa car keep up?  I don’t want to have to wait for you,” Carrie teased as she climbed into the Charger.  She looked over at Sam and cocked her eyebrow, not sure if he was going to go with her or with Dean.  She could see Dean’s face was beet red and figured she should shut up before he ruptured a blood vessel and leave Sam to try and calm Dean down.  “Ok, boys, see you back at the hotel.” With that, Carrie waved and peeled out onto the road.

Sam held back his laugh at the look on Dean’s face, turning to climb into the Impala.  “Come on, Dean, let’s get going. Wait ‘til you see the hotel we’re staying at.” Sam said as he shut the door.  He saw Dean run his hand down his face and mumble something before climbing back into the Impala.

Carrie drove with the windows down, singing along to some Bon Jovi.  As she drove, she realized that she felt at peace for the first time in a long time.  She had her family, and even though Dean wasn’t there yet, she didn’t think he’d be able to ignore it much longer.  As she was musing, she looked into her rear view mirror where her eyes collided with a pair of fathomless blue eyes.

“Holy shit, Castiel!!!!” Carrie yelled as the car swerved with her surprise.  “My God, can you make some noise please? You could have killed us,” she fumed.  Then as she thought about it, “Well, you would have killed me.” Carrie pulled off at the next exit, thankful it was the one for their hotel.  “I assume that you want to talk to me?”

“You are correct in that assumption.” Cas said, looking around as she pulled into a parking spot.  “This is much nicer than where Sam and Dean usually stay.”

“ _ Ahhhhhhh...that makes sense now.  That’s why Sam looked so confused when he asked if we were staying here _ ,” Carrie thought to herself as she got out of the car.  “So what’s up?” she asked, leaning against the car.

“I wanted to check on how you are doing.  I watch out for the Winchesters, they’re my family, and you are a Winchester,” Cas said earnestly, walking around the car to look at her.  “I can see your soul you know, it’s an exact match to Dean’s. I always thought he had the brightest soul I would ever see, and now here’s another one.  How are you faring with everything?”

“Cas, I appreciate you trying to bridge the gap between Dean and I, but don’t you think you have other things to worry about when it comes to him?” Carrie asked, pushing off the car to grab her bag out of the backseat and head into the hotel.

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” said Cas, tilting his head at her.  However, Carrie noticed the slight color on his cheeks.

“Cas, you can’t cheat a cheater.”

“I’m not cheating -” Cas began, but Carrie interrupted him.  “It’s a saying, Cas. Basically I know that you’re not worried about me, per se.  You’re concerned about my brother and the negative effect I’m having on him.” Carrie said over her shoulder as she entered the hotel.  Cas stood there for a minute before following after her.

“You’re wrong, you know,” Cas said when he caught up to her in the lobby.  “I’m concerned about you as well. Part of it is Dean, but not because I think that you are going to hurt him. It’s more that your soul is so similar to his; it’s breathtaking.  Being a Winchester means that I will protect you any way I can,” Cas said, “Whether that means just watching from a distance, or getting directly involved if you’re in trouble, I will be there,” he said, placing his hand on her shoulder to stop her.

Carrie stopped, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath before turning around to face him.  “Cas, I don’t want to talk about it here in the lobby. Can we discuss this in the room, please?”  After seeing him nod, Carrie turned back around and headed for the elevators. The sooner she got upstairs, the sooner she could relax. Boy was she glad that she had gotten two rooms.

“Ok, Cas,” Carrie said after she finished unpacking her suitcase, “What’s got your wings in a bunch?”  She looked over at the angel, who was fidgeting across the room. When he didn’t immediately start talking, she sighed and resigned herself to a long night when all she wanted to do was sleep.  She plugged her phone in, sat on the bed and motioned Cas to come sit with her. “I can tell you have something on your mind, but I’m not a mind reader. You need to actually talk to me, if you want me to help resolve whatever is flying around your brain tonight.”

“Carrie, I want to know what your intentions are with the Winchesters?  Are you just ‘passing through’?” Carrie grinned on the inside at Cas’ finger quotes.  “Because I don’t think it would be a good idea for you to pursue a relationship with your brothers if you aren’t going to stick around.  They’ve been hurt and left enough and I don’t want to let someone who is just going to do that again get close to them.” Cas finished, pinning her with his intense stare.

“But Cas, I thought that I was a Winchester, and that that meant that you would watch out for me just like you do for my twin?  You know, they aren’t the only ones who have lost everyone. My parents died… TWICE!! And only one of my brothers gives a shit about me.  So cry me a river about losing people; I’ve been there as well.” Carrie fumed, so angry that people kept treating her like she wasn’t anything.  Her parents had left her without ever telling her that she wasn’t really their daughter, only for her to find out that her actual parents were dead as well.  But surprise, she had two brothers. And surprise again, they wanted nothing to do with her. Well, one of them didn’t want anything to do with her. She felt like the walls were closing in on her and knew she needed to get away.

“Carrie, are you ok?” Cas queried as he walked towards her with his signature head tilt.

“Back off, Cas,” Carrie snarled at him.  “You know what, you all want me gone so bad?  Fine, I’m out of here. I don’t NEED anyone, especially not you guys.”  Carrie grabbed her bag and stormed out of the room. 

When she got to the parking lot, she noticed Dean’s Impala in a spot.  No matter how angry and hurt she was, part of her was still glad to see that her brothers were back safe. She threw her bag into the back seat and peeled out of the parking lot. “Fuck them, I don’t need them. I’ve survived on my own for this long, I can just keep doing it.  Maggie and Crowley have my back, and Jo and Ellen are family,” she thought to herself as she got back on the highway. She knew she couldn’t go back to the Roadhouse; she couldn’t face Jo and Ellen and probably Bobby right now.  She also couldn’t go to her hideaway because Crowley knew where to find her. “SHIT!!” Carrie yelled, slamming her hand on her steering wheel. She was almost blinded by her tears now and knew that she needed to pull over before she crashed.  She pulled off the shoulder and into a copse of trees on the side of the road and with no one around her, she let herself fall apart.

Gabriel was sitting in the back seat, invisible, knowing that Carrie wouldn’t have wanted anyone to see her like this.  He felt the rage building and knew that he needed to make her as safe as possible before he went to tear whoever had done this a new one.  Gabriel placed his fingers on her forehead, and when she was asleep, he flew her back to her hotel room and put the car safely in the parking lot.


	15. We Need to Talk...

Sam looked over at Dean, who was singing at the top of his lungs to Metallica; he rolled his eyes and turned the music down.  “Dean, we need to talk.”

“DUDE!!!!  You know the rules.  Why are you touching the radio?” Dean asked, shooting his little brother a look, trying to avoid what he knew was coming.

“Dean, we need to talk about Carrie.  She not going to just go away, she’s a WINCHESTER, and more than that, she’s your twin.  Don’t tell me that you can’t see it, she has your eyes and your wonderful personality. And Cas told you that he could see her soul and it’s identical to yours.  Talk about your irrefutable proof,” Sam said smugly, leaning back in his seat. “Ok, take this exit. Carrie got us a room where she’s staying,” Sam said, pointing at the exit.

“Look, Sam, I know that you’re convinced that she’s the real deal but I can’t just fall in that easy.  There has to be a catch, nothing is ever that easy, especially for us. I agree that there’s something about her, but I can’t just roll out the welcome mat,” Dean said, following Sam’s directions to the hotel.  “I need some time. What if she’s an elaborate trick that Gabriel’s pulling on us? It wouldn’t be the first time,” Dean muttered under his breath. He pulled into a parking spot and turned off the engine. As he turned to open his door, he saw someone standing there and jumped. 

“Damnit, Cas!  Stop sneaking up on me!” Dean yelled, grabbing his bag out of the Impala and walking into the hotel.  Cas following behind him, while Sam decided that it was a good time for him to have a few drinks at the bar.

“Dean, we need to talk,” said Cas, looking at him with those fierce blue eyes that Dean swore he would happily drown in.  He noticed that Cas wasn’t wearing his trench coat or suit jacket, for that matter. His white shirt was rolled up to his elbows showing off his sinewy forearms.  Dean’s mouth went dry and he had to swallow before he could speak. “Fine, let’s just get to the room. Do you know where it is?” Dean asked, as he looked around the lobby where they were staying.  “Damn,” Dean whistled as he crossed the lobby to the elevators, “This is much better than anything I could afford.” He turned and looked at Cas; “Did you help her with this?”

“No, Dean, Carrie checked in before I got here.  Apparently, this is someplace she usually stays as they knew her name when she checked in,” Cas said, standing by the bathroom door.  Dean sighed and walked towards the bed.

“Ok, Cas, I’m here.  What do you want to talk about?” asked Dean as he sat on the edge of the bed.  Cas walked over and sat right next to him. Dean swore he could feel the heat coming off his skin.  “Damn,” Dean thought. “I can’t do this. He’s too close, and he smells so good. I wonder what his hair would feel like if I ran my hands through it and grabbed it, would he like that?” Dean mused while he stared at Castiel.  Looking up, Dean got caught in Cas’ eyes again. Cas tilted his head, “Dean, I think I made a mistake with Carrie,” he said without breaking eye contact.

“No, you know what, Cas? We don’t need to talk.  I don’t need to talk.” Dean stood up and stepped up to Castiel. “ You and Sam are so convinced that she’s the real thing, then fine.  I don’t. I need proof because there’s no way that my father would have put one of his children up for adoption. So whatever half-cocked plan that your Dad and the dicks upstairs cooked up, you can tell them to cram it.  I’m not playing their games anymore and they aren’t going to push some girl off on me with some half-cocked story that she’s my relative. So FUCK OFF!!!!” Dean finished, toe to toe with the angel sitting on the bed, breathing heavily with the force of his emotions.  Anger, fear, lust and love were all swirling around inside of him, so jumbled up that he couldn’t tell if he wanted to fight or fuck and couldn’t decide which he wanted more. Dean closed his eyes and took a step back because he wasn’t sure what would happen if he stayed so close to Cas.

Cas stood up very calmly, keeping his eyes glued on Dean while repressing the anger swirling around inside of him.  How dare Dean treat him like this. He leaned in and quietly said, “No, Dean. I'm not going to ‘fuck off’... Not this time.” Cas watched as Dean clenched his jaw, then started to squirm under Cas’ scrutiny. Dean opened his mouth, without really knowing what he was going to say, but Cas continued speaking, his voice sharp and authoritative. “Shut the fuck up, Dean. You've had your say, now it's my turn.” Dean is shocked at Cas using profanity, but he feels an unexpected wave of arousal wash over him. Cas started to slowly walk towards him, causing Dean to back up against the wall. 

“What I was trying to tell you is that I confronted Carrie about her intentions, however I believe I came on a little too strong.  She ran and I thought it would be better to just let her go and calm down on her own. I know where she is...and…” Cas trailed off, with a confused look on his face and that damn head tilt.

“Well, where is she Cas?  What did you do to her?” Dean asked, feeling a twinge of nervousness due to the fact that Cas may have hurt his sister, and he was still right in his face.

“She’s here in the hotel, sleeping,” Cas trailed off, and took one last long look at Dean.  With a shake of his head, he disappeared again, taking every last bit of warmth with him. Dean opened his eyes and stood there frozen, shocked beyond belief and hard as a fucking rock. “What the fuck just happened??” he said out loud.

“Hey Dean, did you see the burger place downstairs?” Sam asked as he came in the room.  He noticed his brother sitting on the edge of the bed just looking down. “Dean, you ok?”

Dean shook himself when he heard his brother’s voice come in the room.  “ _ I have to pull it together _ ,” he thought to himself.  He closed his eyes and willed down the storm of emotions inside.  When he finally felt calm, or at least calmer, he looked up at his brother.  “Did you say burgers, Sammy? Do they have pie too?” Dean asked as he stood up and stretched, trying to look nonchalant.  

Sam gave him a funny look, but let it go for now.  “Yeah, let me just call Carrie and see if she wants to meet us down there,” Sam said as he took out his cell phone.  He dialed his sister’s phone number, but it just rang and then went to voicemail. “No answer,” Sam said as he turned to look at Dean.  “Do you think she’s ok?” Sam asked, frowning in thought.

“I’m sure that she’s fine, Sammy.  Let’s go eat. I’m starving,” Dean said as he walked out the door.  Sam shot a bitchface at his brother’s back and followed him out of the room to the restaurant downstairs.

Two burgers and a couple of beers later, Sam was feeling a lot better.  He relaxed back in the booth wondering why Carrie hadn’t called him back yet, but then figured she had just crashed upstairs.  Dean had also finished his burger and beers and was now doing shots at the bar. He was desperately flirting with two girls at the bar.  Sam rolled his eyes at his brother’s antics and turned back around to come face to face with a pair of golden eyes.

“FUCK!” Sam whisper-yelled.  “Damnit, Gabe, what the hell?” Sam demanded, trying to calm his racing heart.  Gabe was sitting stoically across from him. Sam noticed that there was none of his usual humor in his eyes, as a matter of fact he looked pissed.  “Gabe?” Sam queried, feeling like the angel wasn’t even really looking at him right now. “You ok, man?”


	16. Misunderstandings, talking and Chick flick moments

“Tell me, Sam, how angry would you be if I were to completely destroy your brother?” Gabe asked Sam calmly, which was frightening in its own right.  “Would you be terribly upset?”

“Um, what the hell, Gabe?  What’s wrong with you?” Sam asked, completely taken aback by the venom in Gabe’s voice, the calm tone just making it that much scarier.

“Well, Castiel made Carrie cry so bad today that I had to knock her out and transport her here so she didn’t crash her car, and I know that your brother hasn’t been particularly pleasant to her either.  But when I destroy Cas for what he did, I’m pretty sure it’s going to destroy Dean as well. Two for one in my book.” Gabe said as he took a swig of Sam’s beer.

“Whoa,  Gabe, calm down.  There’s no need to destroy anyone.  Cas probably didn’t realize how blunt he was being.  Carrie was already on edge because her and Dean got in each other’s face during the hunt.  She probably was hopped up on adrenaline, add in Cas, who isn’t the most subtle person in the world to begin with, and you have a recipe for an explosion.  What’s really going on, Gabe?” Sam asked, even though he had a feeling he knew. It would be interesting to see if he was going to admit it. What was it about his older siblings and angels?

“Nothing.  I just know how it feels to have your family shun you.  What it feels like when the people who are supposed to be the closest to you turn their backs and walk away. She’s vulnerable, Sam. You’re her brother, but Dean is her twin. He’s literally half of her. That’s how it is with angels, we all have our own grace but are all a part of each other.”

“Gabe, I know that you’re concerned, but everyone is adjusting.  It’s not going to happen overnight. Carrie is just as hard headed as Dean and they are going to clash.  As for Cas, come on. You KNOW that Cas doesn’t see anyone other than Dean and he gets all ruffled up if he thinks someone is going to harm him.  Just let them figure it out. And once things settle, maybe talk to Carrie about what you’re feeling?” Sam said, knowing that he needed to tread gently, but not being able to resist teasing the archangel.

Gabe shot Sam a look and then snapped his fingers and disappeared.  “ _ Oh boy, this should be really interesting.  Between Dean and Cas, Dean and Carrie, and Carrie and Gabe, there’s not going to be a dull moment, _ ” Sam thought to himself as he smiled and finished his beer.

Just as Sam was getting ready to go back up to the room, Dean plopped down next to him.  “Sammy boy, leaving already?” Dean slurred, looking at him with glassy eyes.

“It’s SAM,” Sam said, rolling his eyes.

“C’mon Sammy, let’s let loose and have some fun.  Plenty of things to do here,” Dean leered, letting his eyes roam over the bar area.

“Actually Dean, I’m going to check on Carrie and make sure she’s ok.  You might want to talk to your angel and find out what he said to her today.  Apparently she was really upset earlier. Try not to be a total dick next time,” Sam said, getting up and walking away.  “I’m going to check on OUR SISTER to make sure she’s ok.” Sam threw over his shoulder as he headed towards the elevator.

Dean put his head down on the table, feeling even worse than he had before.  He knew that he kept messing up when it came to Carrie. He didn’t know how to react to her and he just kept making things worse.  But he needed to protect himself because everyone always left him; she wouldn’t be any different. He kept saying that he didn’t believe her, that he wasn’t convinced, but deep down he knew she was his sister.

“Hello, Dean.”

Dean lifted his head and saw Cas sitting across from him, looking very uncomfortable.

“Wazup man,” Dean said with a slight slur.  “Have a drink with me.”

“Dean, lets go outside and get some fresh air.  I have to tell you something.” Cas said, sliding out of the seat.

“Is that code for making out?,” Dean mumbled as he got up, a little wobbly on his feet.  He followed Cas outside and leaned against the building for support. Maybe he was a little more drunk than he had originally thought.  That and that Cas looked really good tonight. He hadn’t put his coat back on, and Dean felt his gaze being drawn back to those strong, tanned forearms.  He really just wanted Cas to hold him and his head was so fuzzy from drinking that he couldn’t remember why it would be a bad idea. He looked back up at Cas’ face and realized that his lips were moving.  “Oh,” he thought, “he’s talking to me. I should listen.”

“Wait, what Cas?  What were you saying?” Dean asked, trying to focus.

“You’re too drunk for this conversation right now,” Cas sighed.  “We can talk about this when you sober up.”

“No way man, I’m good.  What did you want to talk to me about?”  Dean asked, feeling his head start to clear a little bit.

“I spoke to Carrie earlier tonight. I...I don’t think it went as well as I had hoped,” Cas said, looking down at the ground, a light pink staining his cheeks.

Dean was mesmerized by that slight flush for a minute until Cas’ words caught up with him.  “Wait, what? You talked to Carrie? Why? What didn’t go well? Are you ok? Is SHE ok?” Dean entire focus was now on the angel and what he was saying.

“I asked her what her intentions were with regards to you and Sam, as I would not let someone hurt you while I was here.  She didn’t like the question and got very angry with me and stormed off.” Cas was looking over Dean’s head as he retold the story.

“You did WHAT?!?!?  Cas, why would you do that?  Sam and I are GROWN-ASS MEN! And that is my sister.  Cas, so help me, if you hurt her or cause her to get hurt, you and I are going to have a problem,” Dean yelled as he pushed Cas away.  “Damn you, Cas, she’s my sister and you chased her away. I was going to get to know her and go shooting with her. Teach her the tricks that we know about hunting and make sure that nothing ever got close enough to hurt her,” Dean drunkenly ranted as he paced in front of where Cas was standing.  “And now you, you stuck your nose into something that DOES NOT CONCERN YOU, and you hurt my family. Damn you, Cas,” Dean yelled, pushing Cas into the wall behind him.

“I’m sorry if I hurt Carrie; that was not my intention.  I wanted to make sure that she didn’t have an ulterior motive.  You ARE my concern, Dean. You are the one that I share a bond with, and you are the one that I protect and have given my life for multiple times.  I will ALWAYS stand in between you and any danger out there.” Cas’ eyes were flashing with anger and something else.

As the moment lengthened, Dean realized how close he and Cas were standing.  What had been anger before, was mellowing out into something softer and sweeter.  “ _ Aw, hell, _ ” he thought, “ _ Maybe I shouldn’t have been quite so hard on him _ .”  He took a small step back and allowed his eyes to roam.  “ _ He is my angel, now I just need to decide what that is going to mean _ ,”  Dean raked a hand through his hair and then grabbed Cas by his shoulder and pulled him into a tight hug; he never could stay mad at his angel.  “Cas, man, I know that you meant well, but let me deal with Carrie and my relationship with her. If it goes to hell and she leaves, we’ll deal with it then.  For now, just promise me that you’ll watch out for her like you do for me. Don’t let anything happen to her, Cas. Please,” Dean buried his face into Cas’ neck, feeling Cas’ arms tighten around him.  He pulled back a little bit and looked Cas in the eyes and saw happiness and… was that love? “Oh, no,” Dean thought, “I’m not ready to admit that yet. Time to end this chick flick moment.” Dean pulled back and clapped Cas on the shoulder.  

“Come on, Cas,” Dean said, “Let’s go talk to my sister.”  Dean couldn’t deny the big smile on his face or the warm fuzzy feeling he got from finally admitting out loud that Carrie was his sister.  He walked back towards the hotel and Carrie’s room.

Five minutes later, Dean was standing outside of Carrie’s room with Cas.  His hands were all sweaty and he felt like he would rather face down an entire nest of demons, vampires and shapeshifters than have this conversation.  But it had to be done; if he wanted any chance of saving his relationship with Carrie. He looked over at Cas, and after seeing Cas’ little smile, he raised his hand and knocked on the door.

“Hey, Carrie, are you in there?  Can we talk?” Dean asked, keeping his voice down in case she was asleep already.  He was just raising his hand to knock again when the door opened. There was Carrie in plaid pajama pants and a Led Zep t-shirt. Her hair was a little messed up and her eyes and cheeks were red like she had cried herself to sleep.  She looked so young and vulnerable, Dean just wanted to scoop her up and protect her from the world.

“What do you want, Dean?” Carrie asked tiredly with a trace of bitterness.  “I’m really tired and not in the mood for another screaming match.” She opened the door a little wider, but didn’t invite him in.  “OH and look, you have your guard dog with you,” she said, narrowing her eyes when she saw Castiel. “I really don’t want to hear it from him again either.  I’m done with all of it, I’m heading out tomorrow.”

“Carrie, I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to upset you earlier.  I realize that I was too harsh. It was never my intention to chase you away.  You reminded me that as a Winchester you are just as much in my care as Sam and Dean.  I hope you can forgive me for my harsh words earlier,” Cas gave her the puppy dog eyes and waited for her verdict.

Dean laughed to himself, knowing that Cas’ puppy dog eyes were as lethal as Sam’s.  Sure enough, he looked at his sister and she had a slight flush on her face, her eyes open wide.  “ _ Yup _ ,  _ just as lethal as his angel blade _ ,” Dean snickered to himself.

“Uh, I guess so.  Come on in,” Carrie opened her door and allowed them to come in.  Dean noticed that her suitcase was on the other bed and was almost packed.  He was really glad that they had caught her before she left.


	17. Let's Talk Some More...

Sam stormed to the elevator, and then when he got to Carrie’s floor, he stormed down the hall to her room.  As he was about to knock, the door swung open.

“Good lord, Sam, I think they heard you coming from the parking garage.  Why are you trying to scare everyone else who is staying here?” Carrie teased, leaning against the doorjamb.  She looked calm, but her brain was running a mile a minute. Sam had been pretty accepting of her since the beginning, was he going to take it back now? Was he going to choose the Seraph over her?  Just the thought of that made her chest hurt, but she refused to let it show. So she hardened her mask and just waited to see what he would say.

“Look, Carrie.  I know that Dean is an ass, and Cas can get… intense when he feels like he needs to protect Dean,” Sam sighed, running his hand through his hair.  “Can I come in so we can talk about this? I could really use a drink if I’m going to try and explain the inner workings of Dean’s mind or the relationship between Dean and Cas.”

Carrie gave him a really long look and then shrugged.  “Sure, why not. Come on in.” Carrie stepped back from the door to let him in.  Sam walked in her room and stood there, looking around. Carrie closed the door and turned around.  She saw Sam standing there, almost fidgeting and looking uncomfortable. Carrie rolled her eyes and realized that he was waiting for her to tell him to sit down.

“Have a seat, you moose.  You’re taking up the whole room.  I’d like to be able to see your face without giving myself a neck ache,” she snarked at him as she sat on the bed.

“Look, Carrie, I know that Dean can really be an ass and he’s super resistant to change.  But underneath all of that, he’s got a heart of gold. He’d give everything he has for the people he cares about, the people he considers family,” and Carrie witnessed the power of her little brother’s puppy-dog eyes. “I know that he’s been rough on you, but I know that he’s pretty much accepted you as family.  He’s more concerned about keeping me and himself from getting hurt. And since family is everything to Dean, he gets really scared when someone or something threatens that,” Sam was looking at her so earnestly while he was delivering his monologue, Carrie had to hold back a hysterical giggle. He thought that she was mad at DEAN!!!   “And you… you’re a double-edged sword. Because you’re family, but you also have the power to destroy all of us. And if he gets attached, and you leave; well that would devastate him.” She tried to interrupt him to tell him that it wasn’t Dean who had made her cry, but Sam must have noticed that and just got louder and more emphatic with his praises of Dean.

“Sammoose, take a breath,” came a voice from over by the window.  Carrie looked over and saw Gabe sitting in the armchair by the window. 

“ _ Oh, that’s JUST what this three-ring circus needs right now _ .”  Carrie thought as she rolled her eyes and decided that she was just going to sit back and enjoy the show.

“Gabe?” Sam asked, not sure why Gabe was there.

“Of course it’s me,” Gabe snarked.  “But you’re preaching on the wrong soapbox.”

“Wait… what?” Sam asked, truly confused now.

“Sam, Carrie isn’t mad or upset about Dean.  This isn’t his fault… for once. The blame for this can be thrown completely at the feet of my overzealous little brother.” Gabe said, walking over to where Carrie and Sam were sitting on the bed.

“Wait, she’s upset because of CASTIEL?!?!?!  I don’t understand.” Sam looked so lost, Carrie felt bad for her little brother.

“Well basically, little Cassie sees Carrie as a threat to Dean’s, and to a lesser extent your, happiness if she were to turn tail and run and you know how well Cassie handles threats to Dean.”  Gabe said, pinning Sam with his eyes. “Cassie basically asked what Carrie’s intentions were and then told her that if she was going to leave, then she should just leave now.”

“Woah, that’s… Carrie, I’m so sorry for that.  I know how uncomfortable it can be when you try to do the right thing, but Cas goes into super watchdog mode if he thinks that choice will hurt Dean.  I’ve been on the receiving end of that a few times myself.” Sam said, as he pulled his sister into a hug. “I don’t want you to leave and I know Dean doesn’t either.”

“Well that’s sweet and all, Sammykins, but I think it would be a lot better if that declaration came from Dean and there was a serious apology from Cas.” Gabe said, fondly looking over at Carrie wrapped in Sam’s giant appendages.  “Come on, let’s let the Winchester Princess get some sleep.”

Carrie shot Gabe a look that might have felled a lesser man.  She untangled herself from Sam and gave him a kiss on the cheek.  “Go ahead, little brother, you and Gabe can head out. I promise that I’m not leaving before we all talk.  I really just need some sleep now.”

Sam looked over at her half packed suitcase and then back at her with a raised eyebrow.  “Go, dude, I promise I’m not leaving,” Carrie laughed as she tried to manhandle him out the door.

“Ok, ok.  We’re going.  Come on, Gabe, let’s let her decompress and sleep.”  Sam dropped a kiss on Carrie’s head, and then walked out with Gabe close behind them.

Carrie leaned back against the closed door thinking about the crazy existence she now called her life.  She started giggling and then it turned into full-blown belly laughing. As Carrie’s laughter started to wind down, she felt her emotions switch and she began crying hysterically.  She walked over to the bed and threw herself down on it, burying her head into her pillow. 

“ _ I don’t even know why I’m crying like this _ ,”  she thought to herself.  “ _ I’m really not sad anymore, and I get where Cas was coming from.  It was a little rougher than it needed to be but I still get it. _ ”  That was her last thought as she felt herself drift off to sleep, a few tears still on her cheeks.

* * *

 

“So,” Sam said to Gabe as they walked towards the elevators.  “You and Carrie, huh?” Sam felt like smacking himself in the face.  As far as asinine comments went, that one had to take the cake. And now he had no idea where to go with the conversation from there.  “ _ Smooth, Winchester _ ,” Sam thought to himself.

“Samantha, don’t hurt yourself over there.  I’m just watching out for her until you chuckleheads get your collective heads out of your asses and start watching out for her yourselves.”  Gabe said, sucking on his ever present lollipop as they got onto the elevator.

“Sure, Gabe.  Just like Cas is just watching out for Dean.” Sam snickered.  “You’re about as subtle around Carrie as Cas is around Dean.” Sam looked over and saw Gabe staring at the floor and then the ceiling, basically anywhere but at him.  He rolled his eyes thinking that he was going to have to suffer even MORE UST between his sister and the archangel. “ _ What was up with the twins and their ability to attract an angel? _ ”  They got off the elevator and started walking across the lobby, back to the restaurant/bar they had been in earlier.

“Look,” Sam started, putting his hand on the archangel’s shoulder to stop him.  “I get it, we Winchesters are totally irresistible. But, please, for all of our sakes, do NOT turn into another Dean and Cas situation.  I’m being honest here man, I can’t handle another situation like that. I’m never sure if I want to punch them or vomit.” Gabe laughed at that and Sam felt a little better.  “However, that being said, I promise you that if you hurt her in any way, I will trap you in a ring of holy fire and I will figure out how to kill an archangel. She is my family, but more importantly, she is my SISTER.  DO NOT fuck with her.” Sam said, deadly serious and staring Gabe directly in the eye.

“Don’t worry, Sam,” Gabe said, being serious for once.  “I’m not going to hurt her, I just want to protect her and make sure that she’s safe and not alone.”

“Just don’t forget to tell her how you feel.  She deserves to know that at least.” Sam smiled at Gabe and walked off to get a drink at the bar.  He ordered himself a double whiskey and ordered the sweetest alcoholic drink on the menu for Gabe.

“Now if only our brothers would take that advice,” Gabe said when Sam got back to the table, causing Sam to snort into his drink. “You know, you should be warning me away from your sister, not encouraging me.” Gabe said as he sat down next to Sam at the bar. 

“Well, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s much easier to keep an eye on things when they are happening right in front of my face.  And I think you’d be good for her; I mean, you wouldn’t keep her from hunting and you’d be able to protect her if she needed it. Plus, she may be small, but holy hell, she’s fierce.  I don’t think she’d have any issue kicking your ass if you mess with her.” Sam smirked over at Gabe and raised his glass in a toast.

“Yeah, I’ll drink to all of the above.  Can we plot about our brothers now? Oh, and someone should fill Carrie in on that situation.”  Gabe started to bounce in his chair.

“Damn, we should have brought it up when we were in her room before.  Oh well, I’ll grab her tomorrow before breakfast. Maybe she’ll want to go running with me in the morning,” Sam mused out loud, hoping that at least one of his siblings wouldn’t pretend to be allergic to a healthier lifestyle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so this is the last chapter before I really start tackling the plot and Dean and Cas' relationship. Also, just a heads up, there's going to be a couple of rough spots. I'm telling you now, I DO NOT DO MCD!!!!!! And I always do a happy ending. Keep that in mind when it starts to get dark. Enjoy more Sam, Carrie and Gabe interactions.


	18. Family will make you crazy...

Dean and Cas walked into Carrie’s room and Dean sat on the bed while Cas stood over by the window.  “ _ It’s almost the exact spot Gabe was in earlier tonight _ ,” Carrie thought to herself with a laugh.  She noticed how Cas’ whole face softened when he looked at her brother, and she realized exactly what everyone was talking about.  They seemed to just gravitate to each other, and Carrie realized that while she was a little jealous, deep down she was happy for her brother.  Well, she’d be happy if he would just jump on Cas or let the angel jump him already.

“Carrie, are you listening to me?”  Dean asked, coming over and waving his hand in front of her face.

“I’m sorry, what?  I spaced out for a minute there,” Carrie said, refocusing on her brother.  “Sorry, I’m paying attention. What’s on your mind Dean?”

“Actually,” Cas said stepping forward, “I have something I’d like to say first.  Carrie, I was rude to you before and I’m sorry. I was watching out for the Winchesters and I forgot that you are one.  It won’t happen again. You are under my protection as much as Sam and Dean are and I hope that you can forgive me. My angel blade is yours should you need it,” Cas said standing next to her and bowing his head.

Carrie looked at Cas stunned, and then looked over at her brother.  She saw the love shining through his eyes and a soft smile on his face for his angel.  In that moment, Carrie knew that she would forgive the angel for anything if he kept making her brother that happy.  “ _ Although, I wonder if he’s even admitted it to himself yet.  I could be a really evil older sister and see if Maggie can whip something up to help me _ ,” she giggled evilly to herself.

“Carrie?” Dean queried, snapping his fingers in her face.  “CARRIE!”

“Sorry, sorry.  I’m really tired.  It’s been a hell of a day,” Carrie said, smiling at her brother.  Then she looked at Cas and pulled him into a hug. “It’s ok, Cas,” Carrie said smiling.  “And don’t think that I don’t see the way you look at my brother. You have it bad, little angel; anything I can help with?” Carrie whispered in his ear as she hugged him.  She felt Cas stiffen in her arms but she refused to let go. “No? Well, the offer stands anytime. After all, we’re family now,” Carrie finished and pulled away with a smile.

Carrie looked over at Dean and saw him smiling at her, really smiling at her.  That smile made something click into place in her and she realized that she finally had her family. She knew that it wasn’t going to be smooth sailing; she and Dean were too much alike. However, she was confident that he believed her and wasn’t going to leave her.  Plus, she was going to have some fun getting him and the angel together.

“Ok, boys, I’m really glad that we cleared the air, but I’m super exhausted.  It’s been quite a day and I need at least eight hours to be functional tomorrow.”  Carrie yawned at her brother.

“Princess,” Dean said, rolling his eyes fondly.

“Trust me, bro, you wouldn’t like me when I’m cranky,” Carrie laughed at him.

“Lou Ferrigno you are not, munchkin,” Dean snorted.  “C’mon Cas, let’s let the princess get her beauty sleep, she needs all the help she can get.”

Carrie stuck out her leg and tripped Dean as he walked by, only staying upright from Cas’s reflexes wrapping an arm around Dean’s waist and holding him up.  

“Damn, you fight dirty.”

“Have to, little brother.  As a female hunter, it’s a lesson learned early,” Carrie said, jumping off the bed and opening the door.

“Cas, you can let go now,” Dean said with a slight blush on his face.

“‘Night, boys!!!  Don’t forget to wrap your perishables,” Carrie sang as they walked out the door.  As she closed the door behind them she overheard Cas.

“Dean, I don’t understand, I don’t have anything that’s perishable.  What was she talking about?”

“Nothing, Cas.  Come on, I need my four hours,” Dean said, their voices fading as they walked down the hall.

Carrie closed the door and leaned against it for a second, smiling to herself and how good everything was right now.  “Hey, Gabe, can you grab my giant little brother and come up here?,” Carrie said, grabbing a water out of the mini refrigerator.  She unscrewed the cap and took a long sip and turned around to come face to face with her little brother.

“AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!”  Carrie spit her mouthful of water on Sam, not expecting him to be standing behind her.  “JESUS, Sam, give a girl a heart attack why don’t you?”

“Sorry, but you told me to grab him and bring him up.  So I did,” Gabe stood behind Sam, eyes twinkling at Carrie and the giant water covered Moose.  

Carrie saw Sam narrow his eyes and decided that it was time to duck because that smirk did not bode well.  She dove next to the bed just as Sam shook out his wet hair all over Gabe. Carrie popped her head up and started laughing hysterically at Gabe’s face.  He looked so surprised and taken aback. Carrie’s laughter was contagious and soon Sam was laughing hysterically right along with her. Carrie was too busy laughing and didn’t see Gabe sneaking up to the bed, but she felt it when a million bean bag beads covered her and Sam.

“Blechhhhhhh,” Carrie said, sitting up and spitting them out of her mouth.  “What the fuck Gabe,” she fumed looking over at the archangel laughing on the other bed.  She looked over at Sam who was trying to get all the beans out of his hair and realized that this was war.  And the best revenge was served cold.

“Gabe, clean it up now.  I really did need to talk to you guys,” Carrie said, standing there with her hands on her hips.  She was all business now, taking back control of the room. “So, what are we going to about the lover boys?  Should we be subtle? Or should we just lock them somewhere and not let them out till they bang it out of their system?”  She looked over at the two men in her room, Sam’s face was beet red and he was avoiding her eyes, but Gabe looked like he was having the time of his life and planning world domination all at once.  “ _ Oh boy, I can only IMAGINE what he has up his sleeve right now, _ ” Carrie thought to herself, trying to decide if she should just let him do his thing or not.  “ _ Nope, not a good idea, I need to pull him back a little bit or we are all going to be in ruins _ .”

“Ok, so we want to get them together so they can stop pining over each other, right?  Well, to be perfectly honest with you guys, I think they’re more than halfway there. You should have seen the looks and smiles that Dean kept giving Cas.  I swear it was going to give me cavities!” Carrie flopped back onto her bed dramatically, waiting for the boys to agree with her.

“Um, Carrie, I hate to break it to you, but they ALWAYS look at each other like that,” Sam said, laughing at the look his sister shot him as she sat up on the bed.

“Wait, always?  Are they blind to each other?  How do they not see it?” Carrie just looked incredulously at Sam.

“Well, you know that Dean lives on the River Denial.  As for Cas, he knows how he feels; he’s just afraid to tell Dean and then lose him because of it.  Cas thinks that Dean is straight,” Sam said as he was cut off by Carrie’s laughter.

“Wait… wait.  My brother thinks he’s STRAIGHT?!?!?!  Yeah, he’s about as straight as a horseshoe,” Carrie mumbled rolling her eyes.  

“Ok, so we have to make sure that we don’t startle him.  Cas is going to figure out what we’re up to pretty quick.  He may play clueless, but he doesn’t miss a thing,” Gabe said, thinking out loud while he paced in the room.

“Great, so we are going to take someone who is far into the closet, his address could be Narnia, and the angel who is super aware of everything, and somehow get the together without them knowing.  So easy,” Sam said rolling his eyes and shooting a bitchface at Gabriel.

Carrie sat back and listened to the two boys...well, boy and archangel, decide the future of their respective brothers.  She was content to just watch them go back and forth and come up with ideas and try and sort the thoughts running roughshod in her mind.   She was thinking about Cas and her brother and wondering if she had forgiven him too quick. “ _ I mean, everything is good now, but is he going to stand by me in the long run?  Or if things get bad, is he just going to bail on me? And what about Cas? Can I trust him with my safety?  I know he said that I was a Winchester and that meant that he would protect me, but he’s already turned on me once.  How could I trust him to have my back during a hunt _ ?”  

Carrie could feel another headache coming on. There was just too much in her brain right now.  She felt like she needed to sleep on it and try to let it sort itself out a little bit. “Hey… guys,” she said, but neither of them were listening to her.  “Gabe! Sam!” she said, louder this time. Still no response. Carrie stuck her fingers in her mouth and let out a shrill whistle. Sam and Gabe both clapped their hands over their ears and looked at her.  “Now that I have your attention,” Carrie smirked at them. “I appreciate that you both are enthusiastic about this project, but I need some sleep. So basically, get the hell out,” Carrie laughed as she pointed to the door.

Sam looked over at Carrie and laughed.  “All right, sis...we’ll let you get your beauty sleep.” Sam kissed her on the forehead, and grabbed Gabe on his way out the door.  

“Sam,” Gabe spluttered as he was dragged out and the door closed behind him.  He yanked his arm from Sam and brushed himself off. “Thanks for being a cockblock.  Now I understand why Dean and Cas haven’t gotten together yet,” Gabe huffed as he started to walk down the hall, only to be grabbed again.

“Listen here, Gabriel. I like you.  I think you’re cool and fun to be around.  But let me remind you,” Sam said as he got into Gabe’s face, “that is my sister in there.  And if I ever hear you say cockblock with regards to my sister again, you’re going to have an issue with myself AND Dean.”  Sam saw Gabe’s eyes light up. “And NO, I don’t cockblock Dean and Cas, Dean does a good enough job of that on his own. He doesn’t need my help,” Sam said as he turned and started walking towards the elevator.  Gabe pushed off the wall shooting a look at Sam’s retreating back. He turned around and snapped his fingers at Carrie’s door, adding some protection sigils and also putting a barrier around her room to keep the noise out.  Satisfied with his work, he snapped his fingers again and disappeared.


	19. Netflix and...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the precursor to the smut lol. My smut chapter was getting really really long so I cut it a bit. Next chapter is the smexy. This is some Destiel fluff and foreplay lol.

After leaving Carrie’s room, Dean realized that he was kind of tired.  He didn’t want to go back down to the bar. Maybe he could convince Cas to come back to the room and watch some Netflix with him.  “ _ It only makes sense _ ,” Dean tried to rationalize to himself, “ _ he’s going to watch over me anyway _ .”  

“ _ Yeah, that’s why you want him to come up _ ,” his inner voice snorted at him.  “ _ Not because you want to ride his angelic dick into next week _ .”  Dean blushed and stumbled over his own two feet.

“Dean,” Cas said, tilting his head and putting his hand on Dean’s arm to stop him.   “Are you ok? Are you still drunk?”

“Nah man, I’m all good.  I’m not drunk anymore but I am awake.  Want to hang out and watch some TV?” Dean didn’t dare look over at the angel because he didn’t want to see pity on his face.

“I believe that’s called Netflix and Chill.  Certainly Dean, I will ‘Netflix and Chill’ with you,” said Cas with his air quotes and all.  Dean laughed and slapped Cas’ shoulder.

“Don’t ever change, man,” Dean said, eyes smiling into the angel.

Dean and Cas got off the elevator and started walking towards his room.  Dean glanced at Cas out of the corner of his eye and wondered if it was possible that Cas really was interested in him.  He was honestly sick of wrestling his feelings down and they had become more and more unruly lately. Last night, he had woken up from a dream, covered in sweat with his hand firmly wrapped around his cock.  No sooner did he open his eyes than his orgasm ripped through him, striping his chest and he even hit the bottom of his chin. Dream Cas had been over him, and had been rubbing against his hole. 

“Of course I had to wake up right before the good stuff,” Dean mumbled while he searched for his room key.  He felt fingers brush against his ass and he froze in place.

“Is this what you were looking for, Dean,” Cas asked innocently, brandishing the missing room key.

“Ye-yeah,” Dean said, refusing to admit the squeak that had left his lips.  Clearing his throat, he looked into the angel’s eyes and saw the innocence there, but there was a flash of something else.  

“ _ Could he be fucking with me _ ?” Dean thought.  “ _ Does he know EXACTLY what he’s doing?  No, there’s no way. I’m just being paranoid _ ,” he thought as he opened the door for them.

“Why don’t you get Netflix set up while I get changed,” Dean said as he headed into the bathroom with his PJs.  He closed the door and leaned his head back, taking a deep breath. When he opened his eyes, he looked down at his traitorous dick that had perked up as soon as Cas had said Netflix and Chill.  “Down boy,” Dean hissed as he walked over to the sink. He splashed some cold water on his face and willed his erection to go down. There’d be no hiding it in his threadbare sweatpants. At least his jeans were heavier and did a decent job of concealing ill-timed erections.

“Maybe I should take a quick shower,” Dean thought, debating with himself if he should take a cold shower or give himself a few good yanks so that there wouldn’t be a chance of it coming back anytime soon.  Looking down again, he realized that he didn’t want it to just go down; he wanted to enjoy his fantasy before he went back out. He stripped down and padded over to the shower to turn the water on.

Stepping under the warm spray, Dean tilted his head back and let the water sluice down his neck and body.  He could feel his muscles unlocking one by one and just stood there for a few minutes enjoying the feeling of good water pressure and unlimited hot water.  He let his hands slip down his torso, slowly rubbing his nipples till they were hard little buds and then pinching them ‘til they were a deep rose color. His left hand stayed on his nipples while his right hand drifted down to follow his happy trail.  Once he reached the nest of curls at the base of his dick, he allowed his fingers to whisper over his length. Lightly at first, more of a teasing tug rather than anything solid. Slowly allowing himself to take a firmer grip on his shaft and begin stroking it.  

Dean could feel his nerve endings coming to life, all his pleasure points pinging.  Closing his eyes, he pictured his hands in a mass of dark brown hair, plush pink lips wrapped around his shaft, bright blue eyes looking up at him.  Dean bit his lip to stifle the moan that rose up, not wanting Cas to hear him, and the sound of his hand stroking his cock, as it sped up, was loud enough.  His left hand abandoned his now abused nipples and he brought his leg up so he could reach around and brush his fingers across his rim as he rubbed his thumb over his slit.  Picturing a different hand, this one with long graceful fingers, hands that could take him apart piece by piece. With a barely muffled groan, Dean came, shooting all over the wall of the shower, throwing up his hand to brace himself as his right hand still worked over his softening length, catching every twitch as he rode out the aftershocks of his orgasm.

“Holy shit,” Dean thought to himself, “that was intense.”  He quickly cleaned himself up and finished his shower. After drying off and getting dressed, he walked out into the room and was greeted to a sight that almost brought him to his knees.  Cas was laying on the bed, his trench coat and suit jacket laying over the chair, shoes off and arms behind his head with his eyes closed. Dean had never seen the angel look so relaxed before and all he could do was stare.  He must have made some noise though because Castiel’s eyes slowly drifted open and looked over at Dean, a smile appearing on his face.

“I am so screwed,” Dean thought, closing his eyes in an attempt to get himself under control.  He could feel his dick give a valiant twitch, trying to rise to the occasion.

“Hello, Dean,” Cas said in his whiskey-soaked gravel voice.  “I put on Dr. Sexy for you, but I can change it if you want.”

“No, that’s fine Cas, thanks,” Dean said as he climbed on the bed next to Cas.  As they laid there watching the show, Dean couldn’t concentrate. Everytime he breathed in through his nose, he caught Cas’ scent; it smelled like cinnamon and ozone, the smell right before lightning struck.  Something that was so uniquely Cas, Dean couldn’t help but relax into it. Dean felt his eyes drifting closed and figured that a quick 15 minute nap wouldn’t hurt anyone.

Dean’s eyes fluttered open to a dark room; the TV was off, but he could feel a warm body behind him.  In his sleep hazy state, he couldn’t think of a reason why he couldn’t snuggle into that source of warmth, so he wiggled back and felt the arm tighten around his waist.  He laid his hand over top of it, and when he felt the muscle and hair under his fingers, he remembered exactly who he had been laying in bed with.

“Son of a bitch,” he said as he shot up in bed.  Looking over, he saw Cas, once again on his back and looking over at him with a guarded expression.  “Dude, you can’t just snuggle up to someone like that.”

Dean saw the hurt expression in Cas’ eyes and instantly felt like a jerk.  He dropped his head into his hands and tried to figure out how to backtrack from this.  “It’s fine, Cas, I just wasn’t expecting you to be there when I woke up.” Dean saw hurt and anger flash across Cas’ face and knew he had said the wrong thing again.  “Why is this so damn difficult,” he thought to himself.

“I’m sorry Dean, I’ll get out of your space,” Cas said stiffly, swinging his legs over the side of the bed.  Dean realized that Cas was about to leave about the same time he realized that he couldn’t let that happen.

“NO, Cas, that’s not what I meant,” Dean said, laying his hand back on the angel’s arm.  “I was just surprised, that’s all.”

Cas turned around and looked at him like he was trying to see into his soul.  Dean dropped his gaze, unable to look at him until he sorted his mind out a little bit.  He knew he wanted the angel, and had pretty much come to terms with that. He wasn’t gay, but he was definitely into Cas.  And most of all, he trusted him. Dean knew that if he started something with Cas, there would be no going back. However, he also knew that there was no way to walk away from this anymore.  He was so tired of fighting everything in his life; monsters, demons, angels… the list seemed endless. For once, he was going to reach out for something that would make him happy. Plus, he knew that Cas would always protect him.  Finally, he just decided to make himself happy and let the cards fall where they may.

Determined, Dean looked back up and met Cas’ gaze once again.  He wasn’t sure what Cas saw in his eyes, but the soft look on his face became almost predatory.  Dean felt a shiver race up his spine, and Cas’ gaze became even more focused. Never breaking eye contact with Dean, Cas raised his hand and slowly cupped Dean’s cheek, his thumb rubbing on Dean’s cheekbone.  Dean felt his eyes flutter closed. “This is it,” he thought. “No turning back now,” he thought as he turned his head into Cas’ hand.


	20. These things are clear to all from time to time...

“Dean,” Cas whispered.  Turning Dean’s face towards him, he slowly lowered his lips and brushed them over Dean’s.  It was too little contact for Dean and he felt a whine in his throat. After a brief pause, Cas’ lips returned for another short press before finally fitting them together.  Dean saw stars behind his eyelids. He registered the softness and dryness of Cas lips, the slight pressure on his own and then the tongue that darted out to lick against his lips.  Dean was helpless to resist and opened his mouth, allowing Cas entry. He felt Cas’ tongue boldly sweep through his mouth, not leaving the slightest room for resistance; not that Dean was offering any.  It was just the opposite; with every pass of Cas tongue, Dean softened a little more until he was nothing more than putty in Cas’ capable hands.

Cas must have been waiting for the last vestige of tension to leave Dean’s body because that’s when his hands started roaming.  He slipped them under his t-shirt, feeling the smooth warm skin under his palms. Cas let his fingers trace over the muscles and scars that littered Dean’s torso, Cas could name when he had received each one of them. Dean’s body was a trophy of all the fights he had survived. 

Dean felt his breath catch in his throat when Cas’ hands slipped under his shirt.  His body felt like an electrical current sparking everytime Cas’ fingers brushed over his chest. He felt Cas’ hands firm on his skin and tweak his nipple, which ripped a groan out of his throat. He was nothing but sensation, his mind going quiet to allow him to enjoy this. Dean cracked his eyes open and saw Cas staring at him like he was a great treasure. Dean started to squirm under that look, knowing that he wasn’t worthy of it. “Please, Cas, please don’t stop.  I know that I’m not worthy of this but I don’t ever want it to end. I’ve waited so long for this, for someone who saw me and cared about me, scars and all. I promise I’ll never stray, just please don’t break me,” Dean thought in his head, almost crying to himself now.

“Dean, look at me,” Cas said, stilling his hands.  “I can hear your thoughts, you think that you aren’t worthy.  You ARE the Righteous Man, Dean Winchester; there is no soul that shines as bright as yours.  It calls to me, sings, actually. It’s how I was able to find you in hell. It was crying for help and had such a pure light to it.  When I cradled it in my Grace, it calmed and I swore in that moment that I would always protect it.” Dean felt tears pooling in his eyes.  He knew he was broken, he ruined everything he touched. WHY couldn’t Cas see that? “Olani hoath ol,” Cas whispered bringing his lips back down to Dean’s.

Dean didn’t know what that meant, but he felt something crack inside and was swept away with everything he felt for the angel.  He had been hiding behind that wall for so long, but with Cas’ hands and lips moving on him, his defenses had weakened until they came crumbling down.  He wound his arms around Cas shoulders and held on for dear life. Deciding that he wasn’t going to let Cas have all the fun, Dean swirled his tongue in Cas’ mouth, dueling with Cas; tongue.  Their kiss went from sweet to incendiary in a second. Lips pushing against each other hard enough to bruise while their tongues battled for dominance. Cas tried to pull Dean’s shirt off, but Dean refused to relinquish his mouth.  Dean felt Cas growl and then his shirt was ripped off his body.

Dean pulled back and looked at the angel in shock.  Cas had a triumphant smirk on his face and used Dean’s distraction to slowly unbutton his shirt.  Dean watched as each button opened to reveal a new patch of skin and felt his mouth get even drier.  There was a large expanse of golden skin in front of him, and all Dean wanted to do was reach out and make Cas feel as good as he felt.  Dean slowly reached out and laid his hand over Cas’ heart. He felt the warm skin pulled taut over heavy muscle and allowed his fingers to dance over Cas’ nipples.  Slowly, Dean worked his hand down until he reached the waistband of Cas’ slacks. Stilling his fingers, he looked up at Cas. Cas had his eyes closed, the dark fringe of his lashes laying on his cheeks which had a pink tinge to them.  Dean saw that Cas had his lower lip caught between his teeth so he leaned up and kissed him gently freeing his lower lip, then laved it with his tongue.

“Dean,” Cas said, pulling away slightly and taking in the sight of Dean’s flushed face and kiss-bruised lips.  “Dean, beloved, we need to talk.”

Dean whined at the delay and rolled his hips, hoping he could override Cas’ brain thought with his cock.  Unfortunately, Cas had much better control, so after a few minutes of nothing, Dean calmed down with a pout on his face.  This was a talk that Dean had been hoping to avoid, he didn’t know if he was going to be able to tell Cas how much he wanted the angel to fuck him into the mattress.  It would have been much better if Cas had just taken him, but deep down, Dean knew that Cas would never fuck him without his explicit consent. If he was being honest with himself, it was the reason that he trusted Cas enough to bottom.

“Look, Cas, I don’t really want to get into a long discussion about this.  Basically the lube is in the drawer next to the bed and I’d like to feel you for a few days,” Dean snarked, batting his eyelashes at him.

“Oh, Dean, you should be very careful what you wish for,” Cas said, his voice dropping into an even deeper register.  Dean felt that voice all the way down to his toes causing his cock to twitch and drip pre-cum onto his stomach. Dean closed his eyes to concentrate and see if he could come up with a way to entice the angel to move faster, but the feel of a wet finger circling his rim caused him to start and his eyes to fly open.

He looked up at Cas, seeing a wicked smirk on his face, all traces of innocence gone.  “See, Dean, while I was watching humanity, I watched them all the time. I was interested in all aspects,” Cas said as he sank his finger in to the first joint.  Dean tensed up, but when the finger didn’t move, he slowly relaxed. “So I have been watching human intercourse since it began. And now I can apply that knowledge to you.”  Cas withdrew his finger and rubbed it around Dean’s rim and then slowly inserted it again.

Dean felt Cas’ finger breach his hole again, but this time he didn’t tense up.  Instead he felt himself laser focus on the feeling of the finger dragging in and out of him.  Every few times, Cas would gently tug on his rim and Dean would see sparks. He kept his eyes closed and just let the sensations wash over him which his hips undulated to the rhythm that Cas was using.  Slowly Cas’ voice penetrated through the haze. 

“So beautiful. Dean, my father’s greatest creation.  Do you even know what the gift of your submission means to me?  How beautiful you are? How your soul is singing out to me? Can you feel my grace reaching out to you?”  Cas breathed his words over Dean’s skin as he slowly opened him up. Two fingers were scissoring his rim and Dean could feel his body relax on the new intrusion.  He couldn’t get over how good it all felt. He felt like he was flying, leaving all his baggage on the ground. Castiel was up to three fingers now and crooked his finger.

Dean’s eyes flew open and his back arched off the bed as Cas brushed over his prostate.  “Holy shit Cas! Jesus...FUCK...Cas...GOD…” Dean could feel himself falling apart around Cas’ fingers and he just wanted to get to the main event.  His cock was hard and weeping against his abdomen and he wanted nothing more than for Cas to finish what he started. “Cas,” he sobbed, completely overwhelmed.  Dean felt Cas withdraw his fingers, but before he could even form a coherent protest, he felt something much bigger taking its place.

Cas slicked himself up with the lube and positioned himself at Dean’s entrance.  Dean felt him carefully push into his entrance until the head popped past the ring of muscle. Dean involuntarily tensed up, as it was much larger than the three fingers that had been inside previously, but then forced himself to relax.  Cas hadn’t moved; he was just waiting, giving Dean a chance to adjust. “Holy shit, Cas, you are packing! Where did you hide that for all these years?” Dean asked in wonder.  He had never felt so full in his life. His connection with Cas had come to life and was buzzing just under the surface, making everything that much more intense.

Dean felt the burn start to subside and turn into a more pleasurable feeling.  As he felt his body relax even more, he wiggled his hips a little bit and felt Cas slide in a little further.  Dean looked up at Cas and saw that his eyes were squeezed shut and he had the most amazing look on his face, “And I put that look there.  Cas looks like that because of ME,” Dean thought to himself. He was completely overwhelmed at how he could make an angel of the Lord look like that.  Feeling even braver now, he closed his eyes and shifted his hips down until he felt Cas’ balls resting against him. “Mmmmmmmmmmmm… Castiel,” Dean moaned, completely overwhelmed by the feeling of being complete that roared through him.

Dean opened his eyes, wanting to see every emotion as it played across Cas’ face.  Cas’ eyes were still closed and he was panting a little bit above him. His face was scrunched up, like he was holding himself back.  As Dean watched, Cas withdrew a little bit and then slid back in, setting up a slow and easy rhythm. Dean felt every nerve ending in his body light up and his soul felt like it was singing.  “Cas, Cas, Cas...I need...hnnnnngggg...more,” Dean pleaded, scratching his nails down Cas’ back. “I’m not made of glass, damnit, and I’m not some wilting flower.” Cas opened his eyes and Dean felt like he was looking into his soul.

“As you wish, Dean,” Cas said, his whiskey-soaked gravel voice as his lips quirked up into a smile.  Dean felt him slowly pull back, the slowest that he had done yet, and then snapped his hips forward. Dean arched up from the bed with a yell as Cas’s dick slammed into his prostate.  He felt like he had left his body for a second as white-hot pleasure lit up his eyelids. Cas sped up his thrusts until he was hammering into Dean. Dean felt Cas lift up his legs and the new angle made Cas feel even bigger inside him.  He felt his orgasm rushing into him like a speeding train and his last coherent thought was that he’d never come untouched in his life. Cas slammed in one last time and that was it. Dean felt himself shaking as he fell apart underneath Cas.  His vision whited out and he clamped down around Cas’ dick, feeling it as the angel joined him in his orgasm, his warmth heating him up from the inside.

When Dean came to, he was cleaned off, laying across Cas’ chest with his head buried in his neck.  He could feel Cas running his fingers through his hair and for the first time, didn’t feel like he had to jump out of bed and rush to get out of whoever’s bed he had been in.  He tightened his hold on Cas and snuggled back in. Cas’s hand paused for a second, but when Dean made it clear that he wasn’t moving anytime soon, he continued to stroke his hair and started to hum Led Zeppelin’s “Rain Song”.  Dean smiled when he realized what Cas was humming and allowed himself drift off to sleep.


	21. One piece at a time...

Balthazar was lying on a beach in the French Riviera, sipping a glass of white wine when a shadow fell over him.  He scowled and looked up, ready to annihilate whoever had gotten into his sun. Once his eyes adjusted he gaped, seeing the LAST face he had anticipated seeing here.  Quickly schooling his features, he took another sip of wine. “Well, you’re the last person I expected to see here. I assume that there’s something that you want me to do for you,” Balthazar said in a bored tone of voice.

“Hello to you too, Balthazar. Mind if I have a seat?  I do need to talk to you about something.”

“Sure, fine.  Not like I could tell you no anyway,” Balthazar said, rolling his eyes.  However, on the inside he was dying of curiosity. What could he possibly want from him, and why did he chase him down in France when he could have just demanded an audience anywhere?

“I can tell that you’re curious,” he said, sitting in the chair next to Balthazar.  “Have you been spending any time with Gabriel lately? Or with the Winchesters?”

“No, after I found Gabe on the floor of the Records room, he flew off and I haven’t heard from him since.  I assume that he’s helping Cassy finally make a move on that denim nightmare you’re so proud of for some reason.”  Balthazar still hadn’t looked over at him, choosing to play the disinterested card for as long as he could.

“How much do you know about the Winchesters’ bloodline and history?”  The question was thrown out casually, as if it was of no real importance.

No matter how nonchalantly it was said, it made Balthazar sit up straight and turn all his focus on the other man.  “The Winchesters? Just that they are the bloodline of The Righteous Man and when John Winchester and Mary Campbell married, they brought together the bloodlines for Michael and Luci.  Why? That’s such old news. No spoilers there,” Balthazar snarked, laying back down again.

“What if I told you that there was more to the story?  A lot more. And that it’s very dangerous information. And if I do tell you this information, you’re going to be reassigned to watching over them.  Would you be interested? Is the cost worth it in order to assuage your curiosity? Think about it. Let me know your answer, but don’t drag your feet.  Things are happening and I’m going to need to move fast to get ahead of them.”

Balthazar turned his head to answer him, but there was no one next to him.  “ _ Damn drama queen _ ,” Balthazar thought in his head, and then flinched when he felt a tap to the back of his head.  Shaking his head, he got up and started walking towards the hotel. About halfway back, he felt the man fall into step with him.  “Are you going to tell me anything before I agree to whatever world ending situation you’ve gotten yourself into now?” Balthazar spoke very quietly and didn't turn his head, but he knew that he had heard him.  Balthazar snorted and rolled his eyes when he didn’t get an answer, but followed him up to his room.

“Wait, why are we using my room?  Don’t you have your own room?” Balthazar stopped at his open door and raised his eyebrow at the other man.

“Balthazar, just get in the room.  As much fun as verbally sparring with you is, I don’t have a lot of time right now,” he said with exasperation, tilting his head.

“So that’s where Cassie got it from.  You know that’s one of his less endearing traits,” Balthazar snarked as he walked by.  He turned around to stare the other man down. “Ok, I’m here. What do you want from me?”

“What else do you know about the Winchester and Campbell families?  That’s probably the best place to start.”

“Their bloodlines are two of the oldest known.  Winchester is the bloodline for Michael and Campbell is the bloodline for Lucifer.  The offspring from both families were supposed to fight in the Apocalypse against each other.  But they refused to say yes to their respective archangels and the whole plan was shot to hell.  Literally, as Michael and Luci are both in the Cage for the rest of eternity.”

“Yes and no,” the man said, staring out the window.  “There’s another Winchester offspring; they are the equalizer between the two.  Or at least they would have been, when I was planning for the Apocalypse to be carried out.  But then things changed. I changed my mind about the whole plan. I watched what had happened to Michael, and I knew that he couldn’t be allowed to be in control.  I also knew how much Lucifer loved his brother; he would have never been able to kill Michael. So that left me with a conundrum. I had these wonderful pieces in place to fight this epic battle that was no longer going to happen.  I had to do something to try and untangle the mess. So I took one of the pieces and sent it away with no knowledge of who they were and what they could do. There was no intention of the three pieces ever coming together. But like the best laid plans of mice and men, things can go awry.”

“Wait, go back a second for me.  Are you telling me that you created ANOTHER Winchester?  Oh no, wait a minute. I was right? It’s that girl. But that would means that she’s a bit older than Dean, otherwise he would have known about her.  Does Gabriel know? He’s going to flip.” Balthazar was pacing in the room, unable to sit still while his mind went a mile a minute. 

“Balthazar, relax.  Gabriel is looking for the answers, but he’s not going to find the pieces that he needs.  Not yet anyway. What I need you to do is stick with him. He’s going to have a really rough time soon and will need all the support he can get,” the man said, turning around.  “No, I’m not telling you anymore than that. Not yet, anyway,” he said, holding up his hand to forestall the arguments that were coming. “Just stay with him, Balthazar. Gabriel and the Winchesters.  The roller coaster ride is just beginning,” he said as he walked across the room. 

“Wait. Just  tell me one thing.  Can you please have Cassie stop pining over the older ape?  Although, wait, is he the middle ape now? Anyway, can you fix that, please?  It’s nauseating and I can’t handle it anymore,” Balthazar whined, hoping that would help to convince him.

“Hang in there just a little longer.  I promise it’ll resolve itself,” he said as he opened the door.  “If it hasn’t already, and you may enjoy that even less,” he mumbled as he shut the door.

Balthazar stood there staring at the closed door for a while.  Finally, he shook himself out of his trance and sighing, disappeared from the room.  

Shortly after, Gabriel appeared in the same, now empty, room.  He looked into the closets and the bathroom, but everyone was gone.  He closed his eyes and concentrated to see if he could sense who had been in the room.  He picked up Balthy loud and clear, but there was something else. Someone else had been here as well.  Gabriel narrowed his eyes, trying to concentrate, but everytime he felt like he got close, it slipped away again.  He tried one more time and got a flash of something. It shocked him so much that his eyes flew open and he lost his concentration.  Shaking his head to clear it, he walked back out into the main room and snapped his fingers.

Chuck had zapped himself back to an abandoned mountain cabin and was sitting there just staring at his old typewriter.  “When did things gone so off the rails?” he thought to himself. Chuck knew he had set a flawless plan into motion, he had planned for every possibility and put in safeguards at every turn.  He looked over at the angel next to him as if she would have all the answers, but she just looked back at him unblinkingly. “Okay, I get it. I need to fix this. But we are soooooooooo far from the original plan that it’s going to have to be something completely different, and I don’t have a lot of time.”  She finally looked away from him and nodded.

**_38 years ago…_ **

_ “Push Mary, come on, they’re almost here!”  John was standing off to the side, holding Mary’s hand and trying to encourage her.  She had been in labor for over twenty hours now, and John was getting frustrated because he just wanted to take the pain away from her.  Nurses were bustling around the room, getting everything ready for the twins. “Twins,” he thought to himself in awe, “We’re going to have twins!”  John was just as happy as he was the day that the doctor had told them. They had gone in for a check up and this was supposed to be the visit that they found out the sex of their baby.  Standing there watching, he had not expected the burst of laughter and the nurse calling the doctor in the the room. It turns out that his daughter kept trying to push her way in front of her brother, almost like she was trying to protect him from being seen.  John had fallen in love again that day with his two little bundles and he couldn’t wait to meet them. But what John and Mary didn’t know, is that they weren’t the only ones there for the birth. Gabriel and Michael were in the room as well, sent by their father to make sure that everything went well.  They saw both babies born and then Michael couldn’t deal with Gabriel anymore, so they took off and missed an important detail.  _

_ As soon as they angels had left, the nurse and the doctor’s eyes turned and they grabbed the oldest, the girl Winchester, and smuggled her out of the room.  When they came back in the room, Mary already had the boy and was nursing him. She looked up at the doctor and asked if she could have her little girl now to try and nurse her as well.  “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Winchester, there were complications with your daughter’s birth. We weren’t able to save her.” John felt the world fall out from under his feet, his little girl was gone before he had even gotten a chance to hold her.  He looked over at Mary and his son and decided that he was going to hold onto them that much tighter. _

_ “Mary, I know that we were going to name the little girl Deanna, but why don’t we name him Dean?  That way he’s a tribute to both of them?” John asked, walking back over to her and running his fingers through her hair. _

_ “Oh, John, I never even got to hold her.  Why would this happen? Why wouldn’t we be allowed to have our little girl?”  Mary sobbed, turning her face into John’s hand. John wrapped his arms around her and just held her while she cried. _

_ The doctor went back into the other room where he had stashed the nurse’s body and was getting ready to dispose of the baby when she looked at him.  The little girl look directly into his eyes and he swore that she could see into his cold black soul. At that moment, he realized that he couldn’t kill her, but he also knew that he was going to need to put some heavy duty protections on her to keep her away from Heaven and Hell.  He did some research and found a couple in New Jersey that had been waiting for a child forever. He jumped into a lawyer’s body and sent the baby girl off. However, he swore that he wasn’t going to leave her unprotected and watched over her throughout her life. The little rugrat had wrapped him around her little finger.  As he solidified his rise to power in hell, he was able to strengthen the wards on her to make sure that she continued to stay off of Heaven’s and Hell’s radar. He watched her grow into a strong and independent girl and couldn’t be more proud of her.  _

Chuck still couldn’t understand how he had completely lost her all those years ago.  He knew that she wasn’t dead, but also wasn’t able to find her. All he had known during those years was that she was alive and doing well.  He could have destroyed Gabriel and Michael for messing everything up; as it was, he had to wipe their memories until he could come up with a new plan.  However, the Winchester twins were built into the very fabric of their beings. Not long after the whole debacle was when he had decided to take a break.  They had all deviated so much from his original plan that he didn’t want to be involved anymore. Lucifer was away so he didn’t have to worry about anything on that front, but he needed to decide if he was going to let things play out the way he had originally planned, or if he was going to alter the course.  However, time was the one thing he didn’t have. When he originally set his plan in motion, there had been a time limit and that time was quickly coming to an end. He still hadn’t decided whether he should just let their future play out the way he had initially planned or if he should step in and change that as well.

“Father?” intoned the angel next to him.

“Yes, Hannah?” Chuck answered, lifting his head to look at her.

Whatever Hannah was going to say was lost when Chuck felt everything quake.  “No no no no! It’s too soon!” Chuck yelled as he jumped to his feet and grabbed his hair. “DAMNIT!!”

Chuck whirled around and pinned Hannah with a look.  “You know what this means, Hannah, GO!” With that, Chuck disappeared to see if there was any way of redeeming what had just happened.  It was time to come out of hiding; he had messed this up and now he needed to fix it.


End file.
